A member of the crew of the Regal Princess cruise ship died after falling overboard while the ship was sailing in the waters of the Yucatan Channel, near the coast of Cancun, the shipping company Princess Cruises reported.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Monday, when the cruise ship, which had departed from Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was on a seven-day itinerary through the Western Caribbean with scheduled stops in Cozumel, Belize and other destinations in the region.

After the fall of the crew member was detected, the captain ordered to stop the march and return to the point where the incident occurred to begin the search work. Mexican maritime authorities joined the operation, as well as the crew of the Carnival Jubilee cruise ship, which was sailing nearby.

Hours later, Princess Cruises confirmed that the crew member was found dead, as reported by Temenundo 51.

"Our sincere condolences go out to the crew member's family and friends at this difficult time. Psychological support is being provided to both guests and crew members affected by this event," the company said in a statement.

The shipping company also thanked the support of the Mexican maritime authorities and the Carnival Jubilee for their collaboration during the search and rescue efforts.

So far, the identity, nationality or role that the victim played on board has not been revealed, nor the circumstances that caused his fall into the sea. The case remains under investigation.

Due to the emergency, the Regal Princess' itinerary registered delays in its arrival in Cozumel; However, once the search maneuvers were completed, the cruise ship resumed its route to Belize. The company plans to conclude the trip according to the planned schedule, returning to Fort Lauderdale next weekend.