Caribbean Princess cruise ship passenger died yesterday in Belize City in what the police is initially calling a “snorkeling accident”. The tragic accident happened when the 67 year-old woman was snorkeling off the Sergeants Caye, one of the largest barrier reefs in the western hemisphere. While snorkeling the woman experienced complications and was pulled out of the water and placed on to a boat. She lost consciousness and even though first aid and CPR was performed on her, she was pronounced.

Belize Police officials say they do not know what caused her death, or if some health conditions contributed. 

“We have been seeing that for some time now, we have been having a few deaths occurring on the seas especially with diving and snorkeling. But we have also been seeing that those people who are diving are persons advanced in age. So we have decided to have some kind of discussion to see how best we can curve this situation because it can give us a black-eye.” Said Gualberto Garcia, Commanding Officer of Belize Tourism Police.

Mittelstadt’s tour was organized by Princess Cruises shore excursions with Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Company, a full service Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).