Carnival Cruise Passenger Recalls Pulling Man’s ‘Lifeless’ Body Out of the Water After He Drowned at Bahamas Resort

A Carnival Cruise passenger is speaking out about the moment he helped pull a “lifeless” snorkeler from the water at the newly opened luxury private resort, Celebration Key, in the Bahamas.

Shortly before noon local time on Friday, Aug. 15, police were called to the resort, where they found an “unresponsive” 79-year-old man, according to a Royal Bahamas Police Force news release shared on Facebook.

The American tourist had been snorkeling at the beach before becoming unresponsive and was removed from the water by a lifeguard. Despite CPR efforts, a medical doctor pronounced the man dead.

Arkansas resident John Kopta and another man assisted in bringing the man out of the shallow water after noticing him motionless on the ocean floor.

Kopta told PEOPLE that he and his wife had seen the man surface for air one last time, adjust his mask, and then dive back down.

“Four to five minutes later, a gentleman said, ‘I think someone’s on the bottom dead,’” he recalled.

Speaking with CBS affiliate KFSM-TV, Kopta said, “I hopped off and ran over there about the same time [the other man] got there, and we went down. He grabbed him by the arms, brought him up. I grabbed his legs, brought him up, and he was lifeless at that point.”

He added that emergency services “did everything they could” to try to save the man.

“At one point, there were 10 lifeguards surrounding him, making a perimeter. All of them were working on him, and the EMTs came with sirens on the ATVs on the sand. I thought they did everything they could,” Kopta said.

“It was very surprising because it was such a beautiful day outside. We were just enjoying the sun, so to have that happen was shocking,” he added. “I hope the family can find some peace knowing he passed doing what he loved — snorkeling. My wife and I send our condolences and are praying they find peace.”

In a separate incident shortly after 2:30 p.m. the same day, officers found an “unresponsive” 74-year-old woman at a different cruise ship.

“The initial report suggests that the female became unresponsive while swimming in a pool,” police said. The unidentified American woman was given CPR on site but also passed away.

Both tourists had been traveling on different Carnival Cruise ships at Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island.

Carnival Cruise Lines stated, “Our lifeguards and medical team responded to two separate water emergency incidents at Celebration Key on Friday — one in the lagoon and one at the beach. Sadly, both guests have passed away. One guest was sailing with family on Mardi Gras and one guest was sailing with family on Carnival Elation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guests and their families, and our Care Team is providing assistance.”

Carnival Cruise Line’s private $600 million travel destination, Celebration Key opened on July 19. The resort spans 68 acres and includes a beach club, swimming pools, bars, restaurants, and activities for both adults and children.