A teen passenger who mysteriously died on a Carnival cruise ship was a bubbly, straight-A student who had hopes of joining the military, her loved ones said.
Anna Kepner, 18, had been on a Carnival Horizon ship, which returned to Miami from the Caribbean on Saturday, when she died, according to authorities and her family.
The circumstances surrounding her death weren’t immediately clear. Authorities have released few details, including exactly when she died or who she was traveling with at the time.
Her grief-stricken family has since paid tribute to her as a happy teen affectionately known as “Anna Banana.”
“She was a people person,” the family told ABC News.
“She loved being around people. 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.”
The teen, who had been set to graduate from high school in May, had started the process of joining the military.
“She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” the family said. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”
Kepner — a gymnast and varsity cheerleader — would light up any room she walked into, her family said.
“If you were sad, she’d make you laugh. She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school,” they said.
“She was the best child you could ever meet.”
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the passenger’s death but stopped short of releasing any further details.
The cruise liner noted it was working with the FBI to investigate the incident.
“Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI,” the company said in a statement.
FBI Miami spokesperson James Marshall stated that the office responded to the scene, but he provided no further information.
