18-Year-Old Girl Identified as Passenger Who Died Aboard Carnival Cruise Ship: ‘If You Were Sad, She’d Make You Laugh’

The passenger who died on a Carnival cruise ship over the weekend has been identified as 18-year-old Anna Kepner.

Kepner was discovered deceased aboard the Carnival Horizon while traveling from Miami to the Caribbean on Saturday, Nov. 8, according to ABC News. Her family confirmed her passing to the outlet.

“She was a people person. She loved being around people. She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile,” her family said.

They shared that Anna had recently completed an entrance test to join the military and was preparing to enlist after graduating high school in May. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community,” they added.

The family described Anna as someone whose presence could brighten any moment. “If you were sad, she’d make you laugh. She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school,” they said.

Anna lived in Titusville, Florida, with her parents, Chris and Shauntel Kepner, and her two younger sisters.

A Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry into the guest’s death. “The death of a guest traveling on the Carnival Horizon voyage that returned to PortMiami on Saturday morning, Nov. 8, is being investigated,” the spokesperson said. They did not release the guest’s identity.

They added that the matter is under law-enforcement jurisdiction and that further details would come from the FBI’s Miami public-affairs office. No additional information has been released regarding the circumstances of the death.

FBI Miami spokesperson James Marshall confirmed that agents responded to the scene but said no further details are currently available. The investigation remains active.

According to the Carnival Cruise Line website, the Carnival Horizon has capacity for 3,960 guests and 1,450 crew members and sails routes to the Caribbean from Miami and Galveston, Texas.