A 36-year-old woman was found dead off the coast of Florida after falling overboard from a cruise ship. U.S. Coast Guard retrieved the body at least 18 miles offshore from Florida's Port Canaveral on Thursday morning.

The U.S. Southeast Coast Guard tweeted on Thursday that the woman, who has not yet been identified, fell overboard on the ship MSC Meraviglia and that "the cause of the incident is under investigation."

The company operating the ship, which holds 5,642 passengers, released a statement on Thursday regarding the fatal incident.

"The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the US Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter," MSC Cruises said. "Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries. We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter."

Reportedly, the woman fell as the ship traveled from Ocean Cay in the Bahamas to Port Canaveral. The cruise company said that the ship's "advanced detection systems" alerted staff to an overboard member which led to the rescue mission.

The incident comes less than a month after a man, James Grimes, was found alive off the Gulf of Mexico on Thanksgiving Day after falling overboard from a Carnival Valor cruise ship. Grimes had waded in the ocean water for over 18 hours, withstanding 3-5 foot waves before being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, 25 people fell overboard from cruise ships in 2019 and only nine were rescued. Cruise companies have attempted to reduce the number of passengers who go overboard, even developing technology to alert crew members of a person falling from the side of the boat as MSC has. However, excessive drinking, a staple of the cruise-ship experience, can aid in poor outcomes for guests who do not follow safety procedures.

Under U.S. law, railings on cruise ships must be 42 inches tall to protect guests. Brian Salerno, senior vice president for maritime policy at CLIA told the New York Times that falls are not due to a lack of safety measures, but are often a result of reckless actions.

"The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act. People don't just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship," Salerno said.

Florida