One family’s joy turned to devastation when their daughter died aboard a cruise ship days before graduation

The Kepner family is going through unimaginable grief after losing their 18-year-old daughter Anna, who passed away on a Carnival Horizon cruise ship. The ship was sailing from Miami toward the Caribbean when the tragedy happened. Anna was supposed to graduate from high school in just a few weeks in May, and her unexpected death has shattered her family’s world.

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed what happened and released a statement saying they’re doing everything they can to help the family during this terrible time. They’re also working with the FBI, which has started looking into how Anna died. The cruise ship came back to Miami, but nobody has said yet what actually caused her death.

Anna’s family remembers her as someone who was always happy, full of life, and an excellent student who got straight A’s. She had such a promising future waiting for her. “When she walked into a room, she would light it up,” her family shared with ABC News. “If you were sad, she’d make you laugh. She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school.” They’re struggling to accept that they’ve lost someone so young who had her whole life mapped out ahead of her.

She had big plans after graduation

Anna had recently taken the test needed to join the military and was already having conversations with recruiters about what she wanted to do. “She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” her family explained. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”

The teenager lived in Titusville, Florida, and everyone knew her for having a big heart and always wanting to help people around her.

She spent a lot of her time volunteering in her grandparents’ retirement neighborhood and pitching in at local shops and businesses in town. “She was a people person,” her family said. “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.”

Anna was someone who loved staying active and trying new things. She started doing gymnastics when she was only two years old and later made it onto her high school’s varsity cheerleading squad. She had a special love for being in and around water, which is why she got both her boater’s license and became certified in scuba diving.

When she wasn’t busy with activities, she liked going shopping, experimenting with makeup, and hanging out with her friends.

Her grandmother was one of the most important people in her life, and she gave Anna the sweet nickname “Anna Banana.” Her family says that even though the pain is overwhelming, they’re trying to find a little peace in knowing that Anna lived every single one of her 18 years doing what she loved and making a difference in people’s lives with her kindness and positive energy.

The FBI is still working on their investigation to figure out what happened that led to this heartbreaking loss, similar to other tragic cases where families await answers about a loved one’s sudden death.

“She was the best child you could ever meet,” her family said. “We’ll always remember her for who she was.” The entire Titusville community is mourning right alongside the Kepner family after losing such a bright young life.

As investigators continue their work to uncover the truth, the community holds onto hope that they’ll get the closure they desperately need, much like families in other high-profile investigations that have sought justice.