A 75-year-old American woman has tragically died after a ferry carrying cruise ship passengers sank in the Bahamas. The incident occurred on Tuesday as the double-decker ferry was en route from Paradise Island to Blue Lagoon Island. The Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed the incident, which took place just three miles northeast of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Disturbing video footage shows passengers wearing life vests and clinging to one side of the sinking vessel. The ferry departed from Paradise Island at around 9:30 a.m. with approximately 100 passengers on board. According to police chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings, rough seas caused the boat to take on water and become submerged just outside of Blue Lagoon. The victim, a 75-year-old woman from Colorado, has not been publicly identified, and the cause of her death is currently unknown. The passengers on the ferry were reportedly all from a cruise ship, and emergency teams from Blue Lagoon Island swiftly arrived to provide assistance. One passenger, Kelly Schissel, captured the terrifying ordeal on video, in which chaos, screaming, and people jumping into the water can be seen. Schissel later revealed that crew members did not provide any instructions, so passengers had to take matters into their own hands and swim to safety. The conditions of those taken to the hospital are still unclear. Local authorities, the cruise ship, and the U.S. Embassy were all informed about the incident, according to a statement released by Blue Lagoon Island. Further details will be provided as they become available.
Tragic Incident in Bahamas: Double-Decker Ferry Sinks, Claiming Life of Woman
