Coast Guard recovers body of woman who fell off cruise ship

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Coast Guard has recovered the body of a woman who fell from a cruise ship off the Florida coast on Thursday morning. The woman was returning from the Bahamas aboard the MSC Meraviglia when she went missing.

"A 36-year-old woman's body was recovered from the water approximately 18 miles offshore #PortCanaveral Thursday morning after she went overboard the cruise ship Meraviglia. The cause of the incident is under investigation," U.S. Coast Guard Southeast tweeted on Thursday.

"The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter," MSC Cruises said in an email to media outlets.

"Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries. We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter. We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincerest condolences to the family and those affected," the company added.

The woman has not been identified by authorities.