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Child Falls From Balcony, Cruise Ship Turns Around To Seek Medical Help

Posted: December 22, 2012
Child Falls From Balcony, Cruise Ship Turns Around To Seek Medical Help

There’s really only one thing that you can do when a child falls and gets injured: Everything you can to get them help. A Royal Caribbean cruise ship temporarily cancelled its trip in order to bring the injured child back to port to receive medical attention.

According to Click Orlando, the 14-month old child fell from a balcony on the Monarch of the Seas. The child fell from the 11th to the 10th floor and was badly injured. The child was treated by the medical staff on the boat but when it was decided that additional treatment would be needed the cruise ship turned around and headed back to Port Canaveral.

Cynthia Martinez, director of global corporate communications for Royal Caribbean, said:

 ”A 14 month old guest from India traveling on Monarch of the Seas was injured in a fall. The guest was initially treated in our medical facility, but required additional and urgent medical attention that could only be provided in a hospital.”

Thee cruise ship returned to Port Canaveral and the child was flown to Arnold Palmer Hospital. Royal Caribbean officials said that the medical staff was still working with the family to make sure that the child survived.

A Royal Caribbean official said:

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family. Our thoughts are with their family, and we will continue to do our very best to assist them.”

Details about the child’s injuries have not been released.



Comments


15 Archived Responses to “ Child Falls From Balcony, Cruise Ship Turns Around To Seek Medical Help ”

  1. Anonymous
    Dec 23, 2012

    First Comment. Slick headline, making us think the kid fell overboard. Second comment. Couldn't they send a medi-vac helicopter for the kid? I tell you If I had been a passanger on that ship that company would be giving me a full refund, and that would be the last time I ever used that Cruise company.We take a cruise once a year and I can tell you Royal Carribbeaan will never get our businness.

  2. Debi Fusako Burnett
    Dec 23, 2012

    Couldn't they send a medi-vac helicopter for the kid? I tell you If I had been a passenger on that ship that company would be giving me a full refund, and that would be the last time I ever used that Cruise company.We take a cruise once a year and I can tell you Royal Carribbeaan will never get my business.

  3. Michael Dumancas
    Dec 23, 2012

    Parents ,,,,? where.

  4. Jean Dennett Szymanski
    Dec 23, 2012

    how can that happen? I have been on many RC ships (not the Monarch). They are very safe. The Monarch is their smallest ship so it doesn't hace a heliport like the bigger ones.

  5. Mary Voelker Wheeler
    Dec 23, 2012

    my first thought…

  6. Scott Marie
    Dec 23, 2012

    The 14 month old fell off a balcony. The only person to blame is the one in charge on the child.

  7. Kathy Neidhardt
    Dec 23, 2012

    I've been on a few cruise ships and you are absolutely right. As parents, we are responsible for our children, no matter what age they are. Hopefully the child is ok.

  8. Joanne Carson
    Dec 23, 2012

    watch out for lawsuit! even though parents or nanny should have been watching!

  9. Pat Garcia
    Dec 23, 2012

    why werent the parents watching the kid; its not the cruise ships responsibility to parent…

  10. Pat Garcia
    Dec 23, 2012

    Parent

  11. Lynn Mayfield
    Dec 23, 2012

    Medi Vac/Coast Guard doesn't need to land- it will hover, drop a basket, the ships crew will secure the injured and the helicopter nurses/crew will bring the patient to the craft and secure it. No helipad needed. Been on a couple of cruises where that has happened. On one we were 250 miles from land- and oddly enough another ship about 30 miles from us had a severe injury onboard also, so the Coast Guard picked up our passenger, secured her onboard and man, they took off to pick up the person on the other ship- they are VERY efficient at what they do.

  12. Virginia Peterson
    Dec 23, 2012

    Wow, what a great idea! Let's take our baby on a cruise ship. We can eat and drink and party and maybe find the kid in a few hours…I am sure the child willl love the trip and remember it Forever! NOT

  13. Kathy Hart DeLacy
    Dec 23, 2012

    Where were the parents?

  14. Ronald Miller
    Dec 23, 2012

    My family and I were on this boat within the last 2 months. The staff is very caring and helpful. No helipad. Stop saying shame on Royal Caribbean, they were in a no win situation. Don't turn around and the baby dies they get blamed, turn around and hear complaints. Article never said the boat didn't turn back around and head out after child was taken care of. Always people wanting to cast stones. Accidents happen, ever held a child and they thrust out of your arms?

  15. Gary Martin
    Dec 23, 2012

    It took me a while to figure this out but the simple fact is there most likely weren't any helos available. The Monarch doesn't have a helo pad, so the only game in town for rescue is the Coast Guard. The USCG station at Port Canaveral doesn't seem to have any helos except for those aboard the two cutters home-ported there. If those were away, the nearest helos would be in Mayport (Jacksonville), Miami and Clearwater (Tampa). We think the CG covers every inch of coast all of the time, but the coastline of the US is extensive and there are limited resources. The central Florida east coast isn't that well covered. Because the Monarch wasn't that far out and not in distress, it was easier and probably faster to have it return at top speed.