Two Tourists Drown at Celebration Key, Bahamas on Friday

Freeport, Bahamas – Two American tourists died in separate drowning incidents at Celebration Key on Friday, Aug. 15, prompting investigations by local authorities.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), a 79-year-old man was reported unresponsive at a beach shortly before noon. He had been snorkeling when lifeguards were called to assist. Despite efforts to perform CPR, he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor at the scene, the police reported on Facebook.

Later that day, around 2:30 p.m., officers were alerted to another incident involving a 74-year-old woman. She was found unresponsive aboard a separate cruise ship, with early reports indicating she became unresponsive while swimming in a pool. Paramedics provided CPR on-site, but she also succumbed.

The two individuals were guests at Celebration Key, a newly opened private resort for Carnival Cruise Line. They were traveling on different ships, with the man on the Mardi Gras and the woman on the Carnival Elation.

Carnival Cruise Line expressed its condolences in a statement, offering thoughts and prayers to the families of the guests affected and confirmed that their medical team responded quickly to the incidents. “Our Care Team is providing assistance,” the statement read.

An autopsy is scheduled for both victims to determine their causes of death, as investigations by the police continue.

Celebration Key, which opened on July 19 with a $600 million investment, features various amenities, including beach clubs, swimming pools, and restaurants for guests’ enjoyment.