A Princess Cruises ship recovered five bodies from the water during a voyage in Europe this month, the company confirmed.
The Sapphire Princess altered course on April 21 after crew members spotted an orange inflatable life jacket in the water while sailing en route to Cartagena, Spain, according to a statement from Princess Cruises.
The vessel deployed its Fast Rescue Boat to investigate and ultimately recovered five deceased individuals, the company said. The ship’s crew coordinated the response with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center.
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The individuals were not passengers or crew members aboard the Sapphire Princess, according to the company.
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"We extend our sincere condolences for this loss and are grateful to our crew for their swift response and efforts to render assistance," Princess Cruises said in a statement.
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The Sapphire Princess departed from Civitavecchia, Italy, on April 19 for a 14-day voyage to Copenhagen, Denmark, according to cruise tracking site CruiseMapper.
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Further details about the identities of the individuals or the circumstances surrounding their deaths were not immediately available.