Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship have died in an “accident” in the ship's engineering space, the cruise line said.
Holland America said in a statement that the unidentified crew member died Friday while the Florida-based New Amsterdam was in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.
The cruise company said authorities have been notified and the cause of the accident is under investigation.
The cruise line said: “The safety, security and well-being of all guests and crew members is the company's absolute priority.” The company also pointed out that reports that these crew members died in a fire on board were inaccurate.
The cruise line did not provide further details about the crew or which agency was in charge of the investigation. The ship departed Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip.
The crew members were receiving counseling.
“All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the team member's family during this difficult time,” the statement said.
Crew deaths are relatively rare. Researchers from Bowling Green State University found that 623 deaths were reported on cruise ships between 2000 and 2019, of which 89% were passengers and 11% were crew members.
Four crew members have died from causes other than the coronavirus during the pandemic. Cruise ship with workers stranded on board.