A 20-year-old South African woman was found dead aboard a luxury superyacht in the Bahamas, and a fellow crewmember has reportedly been charged in connection with her murder.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) said the woman was discovered dead with visible injuries in the engine room of the vessel on July 3, while it was docked at a marina off Harbour Island. Paige Bell, a stewardess from Johannesburg, was identified as the victim by her family on social media.

Authorities said Bell was reported missing shortly before 1:00 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they found her unresponsive, along with a 39-year-old man who was “suffering from severe injuries to his arms,” which police believe were the result of a suicide attempt. 

A local doctor pronounced Bell dead on board, according to the RBPF statement posted publicly on July 3.

Bell, 20, would have turned 21 just 11 days after her death. She was affectionately called “Paigey” by her family. (Crew & Concierge via Facebook)

“It is with broken hearts that we share the devastating news that our beautiful Paigey’s life was brutally taken from us,” the family said on July 4. “We will leave no stone unturned until the guilty is brought to justice.”

Harbour Island, where the yacht was docked at the time of the incident, is a small but exclusive destination about 60 miles east of Nassau, known for attracting celebrity visitors and superyachts.

Bell had previously worked on the motor yacht Sweet Emocean, where former crewmates described her as “more than a teammate — she was family.”

Bell had previously served as a stewardess onboard the Sweet Emocean. (Chelsey Jacobs via Facebook)

A GoFundMe page created by colleagues and friends has raised more than $42,000 to assist the Bell family with travel and legal costs as well as to retrieve her body. According to the fundraiser, Bell would have turned 21 on July 14. In her honor, her mother has asked supporters to eat red velvet cake, Paige’s favorite, and share a photo in remembrance.