In a tragic bit of news, a 12-year-old boy passed away after falling from the balcony of a Texas-bound cruise ship. The 12-year-old boy was aboard Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas when the accident happened. The ship was headed to Galveston, Texas after a week at sea. The boy fell from the ship's balcony on September 7.
In a statement, the cruise ship company mourned the loss of the 12-year-old. It's also asking that the public respects the privacy of the family during this difficult time.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement, "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."
According to reports, the 12-year-old fell at the Central Park area of the ship. That area is located on deck 8 and features many of the cruise's restaurants and shops. We're not sure exactly how the boy fell or the details surrounding their death. Likewise, the ship and authorities chose not to reveal the 12-year-old boy's identity at this time.
Boy Falls From Cruise Ship
It's not the first time that a boy fell from the ship to his death. In 2019, a 16-year-old also ended up dying on the cruise ship. Reports said that the teen tried to climb into his room from the balcony. At the time, Royal Caribbean corporate communications manager, Owen Torres, spoke about the death. "We are saddened by the loss of one of our guests in a tragic accident," the statement read.
The Broward Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the boy attempted to climb into his room from the balcony. The teen ended up forgetting his key and thought that was the solution. Sadly, it only resulted in his death. Launching in 2016, the ship regularly carries around 5,000 guests. We'll keep updated as more information comes out.
