An 18-year-old girl has died mysteriously aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
Anna Kepner, originally from Titusville, Florida, died while aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon, which returned to Miami on Saturday, according to authorities and her family.
The young teenager was a brilliant student and a gymnast who hoped to join the military, those close to her told ABC News.
“She was very sociable,” her family said. She loved being around people. She had an infectious energy, a smile, a presence. She was so easy to talk to.”
The teenager, on track to graduate from high school in May, had taken steps to join the army.
“She had just passed the army entrance exam,” her family confided. She was already in contact with recruiters and had chosen her path. She wanted to do something useful for her community.”
“She was the best child you could ever meet,” she concluded.
The cruise line confirmed the death of the passenger, without providing the circumstances of her death.
The FBI is investigating the incident.
