Girl Dies After Fall Aboard Cruise Ship

An 8-year-old girl died on a cruise ship in Miami over the weekend.

The Washington Post reported the incident occurred aboard the Carnival Glory shortly after it docked in South Florida's PortMiami Saturday morning.

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman estimated the girl fell "about 20 feet" from a deck in the ship's interior atrium.

"The ship’s medical team responded immediately and the child was transported to the ship’s medical center," Carnival Cruise Lines spokeswoman Jayme Eglin told the Post.

The girl was transported to the trauma center at nearby Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she died.

"Our most heartfelt condolences are with the family at this very difficult time," added Eglin.

The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading the investigation into the girl's death.

"Investigators are working closely with Carnival Cruise Lines personnel to determine the details surrounding this incident," authorities said in a statement.

The ship was returning from a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise and resumed normal operations Saturday. The following voyage to the Caribbean was delayed by two hours as a result of the incident.

Wow @CarnivalCruise ...on our way to board and get a text saying two hour delay, now forced to wait in sun...not cool #carnivalglory pic.twitter.com/qzfhXWP4T7

— Johno Chicano (@JohnoChicano) October 14, 2017

Saturday's incident comes two years after a 21-year-old Virginia Tech student died after falling overboard on the Carnival Glory off the Bahamas.

Last week, MSC Cruises announced the launch of an integrated surveillance system designed to help crew members quickly detect a person falling overboard.

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