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Cruise ship staff drowning ruled a suicide

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A cruise ship worker's death at a Florida port was a suicide, authorities say.

Ramakrishan Balasubramanian, 25, a waiter from India, was found unconscious in the water beside the Costa Atlantica, docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Sunday night, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

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A crew member said he was on a deck when he heard a splash, the Broward County Sheriff's Office reported. He looked over the rail, saw Balasubramanian in the water, and threw a life preserver.

The witness said Balasubramanian did not or could not put the device on, the newspaper reported. The witness then notified the ship's captain, Francesca Serra.

Coast Guard rescuers came to the scene and found Balasubramanian floating face down. He was rushed to Broward General Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the newspaper reported.

Serra told police Balasubramanian had been investigated on charges of sexual harassment.

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