In a tragic turn of events, it has been announced that two separate drownings occurred on August 15, 2025, at Carnival’s new Celebration Key resort in the Bahamas, which opened less than a month earlier.
The first incident involved a 79-year-old man who became unresponsive while snorkeling near the shore. Carnival’s lifeguards quickly pulled him from the water and medical staff performed CPR, but he later passed away. Just a few hours later, a 74-year-old woman was found unresponsive in one of the resort’s swimming pools. Again, lifeguards and medical personnel responded immediately, but she too could not be revived.
Carnival emphasised that its lifeguard teams and on-site medical staff acted swiftly in both emergencies, and the company’s Care Team is providing direct support to the families involved. In a statement to Cruise Radio, a Carnival spokesperson said, “Our lifeguards and medical team responded to two separate water emergency incidents at Celebration Key on Friday — one in the lagoon and one at the beach. Sadly, both guests have passed away.”
Both passengers had arrived on different ships – one from the Mardi Gras sailing out of Port Canaveral, and the other from the Carnival Elation sailing out of Jacksonville.
Celebration Key, which Carnival calls the “Key to Paradise,” is a newly built US$600 million private destination featuring lagoons, pools, and beach activities.
While these back-to-back incidents are deeply tragic, they are being treated as isolated medical emergencies. Cruise lines like Carnival employ extensive safety measures, from trained lifeguards to onboard medical teams, and these rare events do not call into question the overall safety of cruising or visiting private destinations.
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