Woman Dies, Man Injured After Fall from Queen Mary Ship

Dec. 6, 2011— -- A 26-year-old woman appeared intoxicated before she plummeted to her death from the docked Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, Calif., police said today.

Her boyfriend was hospitalized after he jumped as well in an attempt to save her.

Police are not releasing the identity of the Long Beach woman until her family is notified, according to spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

The woman and her boyfriend were apparently exiting the ship, which functions as a hotel and entertainment venue, by a walkway to the mainland when the incident occured. The walkway connects the fourth level of the 237-foot tall ship with the dock.

The woman appeared intoxicated and was seen climbing up the fence of the 75-foot-high walkway before she fell, according to witness statements.

Witnesses told news station KTLA that they heard the woman arguing with her boyfriend just before she fell and that she may have threatened to jump overboard.

The boyfriend, 40, whose identity has not yet been released, shouted for help before jumping into the water to try and rescue the woman. A ship employee and two police officers also entered the water to rescue the woman.

She was transported in critical condition to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after, Pratt said.

Her boyfriend was also treated at the hospital for hypothermia, Pratt said. The air temperature was in the 30 degree range when the event occured, she noted. The two police officers were treated at the scene and released.

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Monday, she said. Police have ruled the death an accident.

The Queen Mary has been docked in Long Beach since it retired as a transatlantic cruise ship in 1967.