The young passenger who tragically passed away on a Carnival Cruise ship over the weekend has been identified as 18-year-old Anna Kepner.
Anna, a high school student from Titusville, Florida, was among thousands on board the cruise line’s Horizon ship.
The cruise was en route to Miami from the Caribbean, concluding a six-night journey.
Upon its return to Miami on Saturday, October 8, the teen’s body was handed over to the Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
The cause of Kepner’s death remains undisclosed.
The FBI was present at the scene, and the agency has stated that the death is an ‘ongoing matter’.
A statement from Carnival Cruise Line released on Saturday, November 8, read: “Since this is an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, all media inquiries need to be directed to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office.”
The statement also mentioned, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest.”
Kepner attended Temple Christian School and was set to graduate in May.
Acclaimed for her athleticism, she started gymnastics at just two years old and was part of her high school’s varsity cheerleading team, according to her family who spoke with ABC News.
They described the ‘bubbly’ teen as someone who embraced life fully, with a love for water activities, having both a boater’s license and scuba certification.
Her family shared that Anna was full of aspirations and eagerly looking forward to her future, mentioning, “She had just finished taking the test to join the military.”
“She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”
The family fondly remembered Anna as a ‘people person,’ noting, “She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile and the way she carried herself. She was such an easy person to talk to.”
They added, “She was the best child you could ever meet. We’ll always remember her for who she was.”
Anna was no stranger to cruises, having previously sailed on a Carnival Cruise in May, as shown on her TikTok account.
In a video, she is seen in a white dress aboard the ship, miming and dancing to the song Blue Strips by Jessie Murphy.
“I wanna go back,” she captioned the post, along with a sad face emoji and hashtags like “#carnival #cruise #fyp #viral.”
Another May video features her in a Carnival Cruise hoodie.
The FBI confirmed its involvement in the investigation to PEOPLE.
FBI Special Agent Willie Creech stated to the publication: “Because this is an ongoing matter, no further information is available at this time.”
The FBI typically shares jurisdiction with state law enforcement in maritime investigations, according to Florida Today.
While incidents of death do occasionally occur on cruise ships and are usually handled by local authorities, the specific reasons for federal involvement in this case at Port Miami have not been clarified.