Woman Dead After Plummeting 100 Feet From Antique Ship At Seaport Museum

A woman who was volunteering at a Texas seaport museum reportedly died after she fell off the almost 100-foot mast of a historic ship on Saturday, Feb. 5.

The 58-year-old woman, identified as Jill Marie Hickman Victor, of Nassau Bay, a volunteer and part-time employee at Texas Seaport Museum’s gift shop, allegedly died after plunging 35 feet from a mast aboard the tall historic ship Elissa at the Port of Galveston while it was berthed at Pier 22, the New York Daily News reported.

Victor was about 35 feet up the mast and was wearing a safety harness. However, the safety harness somehow became unclipped and she fell to her death. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Galveston Historical Foundation Executive Director Dwayne Jones, Victor was a first-year volunteer who had been training since August to sail on the ship. Volunteers reportedly have to complete numerous exercises and tests before they are allowed to climb and Victor had passed everything prior to the tragedy, Galveston County Daily News reported.

According to Jones, the historical foundation’s training program and its trainers are certified by the Coast Guard and the program is recertified annually.

“It’s pretty carefully measured,” Jones said. “The Coast Guard watches all those things very carefully.”

Victor's death has been ruled accidental.

“Elissa is a crew of dedicated men and women who operate the ship with passion and dedication,” a spokesperson for the Galveston Historical Foundation, which operates the museum, said. “We extend our condolences to the crew member’s family and friends.”

The Port of Galveston Police Department said it is investigating why Victor wasn't properly clipped in to a safety harness when she fell.

Meanwhile, the police department looked into Victor's death and stated that they uncovered no evidence of equipment failure in her death.

On Monday, Feb. 7, the Coast Guard confirmed that investigators from its marine safety unit in Texas City were looking into Victor's fall and added that their investigation could take up to six months to complete.

The Elissa is one of the last remaining tall ships that still sails. The vessel was built in 1877 and was brought to Galveston from a scrapyard in Greece in 1978. The ship attracts more than 40,000 visitors as a floating museum and also serves as a sailing school.