Child Overboard

[Black Orchid]

A grandad has been pictured with the tragic tot he dropped 45 metres to her death from a cruise ship window he claims he thought was shut.

Chloe Wiegand plummeted 11 floors from the Freedom of the Seas, reportedly slamming into concrete below while the vessel was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Sun reports.

It was initially claimed the 18-month-old slipped through the hands of Salvatore Anello who lifted her out the window as he played with her.

But the family’s lawyer has hit back, denying the girl was dangled out the window and pinning blame for the tragedy on Royal Caribbean cruise line.

The doting grandfather placed the girl on a railing he believed was behind glass, Michael Winkleman told NBC.

Little Chloe loved to look through windows and would often bang on the glass while watching her big brother play ice hockey, the family revealed.

But for some reason one of the panes of glass in the children’s play area where the family were gathered was not there, Mr Winkleman claimed.

The lawyer said: “Essentially her grandfather lifts her up and puts her on a railing and where he thinks that there is glass there because it’s clear, but it turns out there was no glass there.

“She goes to bang on the glass like she would have at one of those hockey rinks, and the next thing you know, she’s gone.”

He added: “Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kid’s area?”

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Sun Online: “We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family.

“We’ve made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need.

“Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident.”

Elmer Román, from the Department of Public Security, previously told Primera Hora early investigations suggested the grandfather took her to the edge as part of a “game”.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-u ... e819f4cfa4

A very tragic and extremely horrible thing to happen but it seems to me that grandpa was negligent and didn't exercise due care.

[Texan]

That made me sick reading that yesterday.

[Black Orchid]

It made me sick and very sad too and there is something really askew about it. Poor kid

[billy the kid]

A 3 year old little girl fell overboard/drowned from a houseboat at Brooklyn, NSW yesterday (Hawksbury River)
Makes me wonder about the quality of parenting these days....
Of course accidents have always happened, and children have always been involved, but when a parent
is nearby on a houseboat or holding the child near a window....gotta wonder......

[Neferti]

Poor little kids. Little ones still get regularly run over in their own driveway (drown in pools) .... how would you feel? You would never, ever forgive yourself or get over it. So sad.

[Neferti]

A 3 year old little girl fell overboard/drowned from a houseboat at Brooklyn, NSW yesterday (Hawksbury River)
Makes me wonder about the quality of parenting these days....
Of course accidents have always happened, and children have always been involved, but when a parent
is nearby on a houseboat or holding the child near a window....gotta wonder......

When I lived in Sydney and we went sailing on the Harbour most weekends, my daughter was only about 2 and had her "sea legs" and also wore a life jacket ... plus I watched her like a hawk, she (and a friend's little boy, same age) had swimming lessons at around that time ... but that means absolutely nothing unless a parent is there to supervise. I was called "over protective" but that's what a parent is supposed to do, isn't it?

[billy the kid]

When my kids were little I had them in those plastic harnesses with a six foot lead...they walked in front of me when
we went shopping so I could keep an eye on them...these days in the shops I see quite often parents walking along, usually on their mobile, and the kids trudging along about five to ten metres behind them...the parents wouldn't even know the kids existed...
Id be laughed at these days if I used the harnesses....but then again, I laugh at parents all the time these days...
They are really only parents by label....

[Neferti]

When my kids were little I had them in those plastic harnesses with a six foot lead...they walked in front of me when
we went shopping so I could keep an eye on them...these days in the shops I see quite often parents walking along, usually on their mobile, and the kids trudging along about five to ten metres behind them...the parents wouldn't even know the kids existed...
Id be laughed at these days if I used the harnesses....but then again, I laugh at parents all the time these days...
They are really only parents by label....

My daughter, was "cruising" around the furniture at 7 months ... by 10 months she was really walking .... then I bought a "harness" at the St Ives (Sydney) kids wear shop (at that time)... paid, put the harness on the child and, suddenly, her feet were "glued" to the floor .... she would NOT move. She was a very obedient child, so when I took the harness off, I told her she was NOT to run anywhere ... so she didn't.

Then I remember her having to take Green Frog (a cheap toy) when we went to Myers, I think it was .... suddenly, in another aisle, Green Frog was missing ... oh dear .... up to the Office and there he is .... Green Frog.

I should really write all this stuff down so that when I pass, my daughter has true memories by her Mother to pass down.

[billy the kid]

[Valkie]

As a volunteer rescue operative, I can tell you it happens more than you think.
And people ignore the rules when it comes to life jackets.

I have watched hundreds of people cross the bar in small tinnies, without life jackets.
But Maratime rarely goes after them.

Kids overboard, ie seen plenty, most responsible parents make them wear life jackets so they survive.
My kids all had to wear them every time.

In a correct fitting and secure life jacket, it's impossible to drown.
But you could be surprised how many people don't fit them correctly or even secure them adequately.

Too many idiots who own boats.