A 12-year-old boy has died after falling off the balcony of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship as it was returning to Texas.
The FBI is investigating the death, which occurred Saturday as the ship made its way back to Galveston following a seven-day trip. On the last day of the western Caribbean cruise Harmony of the Seas, a child fell from a balcony onto a lower deck and died.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson shared the following statement with People magazine :
"We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests. Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."
Although many details of the incident remained unclear Thursday morning, several news outlets reported the balcony from which the boy fell overlooks the inner part of the shift. The lower deck he landed on was allegedly the "Central Park" area, which is positioned on deck 8 and is the site of many of the vessel's bars, restaurants and shops.
The death occurred before the ship docked in Galveston.
The FBI has confirmed its investigation and its coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard as well as Customs and Border Protections, saying it is "the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas." The agency had not disclosed further details, The Washington Post reports .
The deceased child's identity has also not yet been made public.
Cruise ship death follows similar death of teenager in November
Last year, a 16-year-old boy fell from the balcony of a different Royal Caribbean ship, Allure of the Seas , and died at a hospital. The world's fifth-largest cruise ship sailed out of Port Canaveral ― the world's busiest cruise port. The incident occurred in November.
Read more: Teen passenger dies after fall on Royal Caribbean cruise ship based at Port Canaveral
Another child fell, died on same cruise ship in 2019
About five years ago, Harmony of the Seas had another passenger who died from falling from a balcony. At the time, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported the minor passenger, age 16, had been attempting to access his room from a nearby balcony.
Read more: Teen dies after falling from Royal Caribbean cruise ship, landing on pier
Despite the latest tragedy, this type of cruise ship death is not common. However, multiple people do go overboard each year. Cruise industry researcher Ross Klein has collected data showing at least 386 people went overboard on a cruise ship between 2000 and 2020.
All ships have "safety barriers that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards and prevent a guest from falling off," according to Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli in 2023. Every open deck and balcony is required to have railings "not less than 42 inches from above the cabin deck," according to the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA), with thick metal or Plexiglas panels underneath to prevent anyone from slipping through.
The safety barriers are positioned up to chest height for the average person.
Harmony of the Seas is one of the world's largest cruise ships, according to Royal Caribbean's website . It has 18 decks, a maximum capacity of 6,687 guests and 2,747 staterooms.
In 2018, it was named "Best Cruise Ship" by the Travel Weekly Readers' Choice Awards.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Boy, 12, falls to his death from balcony on Royal Caribbean cruise ship returning to Texas
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