Tag Archives: drowning

Boy was found unconscious in outdoor pool on Independence of the Seas

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British boy, 6, fights for life after being found unconscious at bottom of swimming pool during luxury cruise holiday

  • He was treated on ship before French Navy helicopter flew him to hospital
  • His condition at Morvan Hospital in Brest, France, is described as ‘serious’
  • Youngster was with his parents on a European luxury cruise at the time

By EMMA GLANFIELD

A six-year-old British boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being found unconscious at the bottom of a swimming pool during a luxury cruise holiday.

The young boy was reportedly found at the bottom of one of the main outdoor pools on the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas cruise liner.

He was travelling with his parents when the incident occurred as the ship passed off the Breton coast, off the north of France, yesterday.

The six-year-old British boy was reportedly found at the bottom of one of the main outdoor pools on the Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas cruise liner (pictured)

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The six-year-old British boy was reportedly found at the bottom of one of the main outdoor pools on the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas cruise liner (pictured)

Emergency services were alerted after the youngster was allegedly found unconscious in the crowded pool shortly after lunchtime. His heart had stopped and he was no longer breathing, it was reported.

Yann Bouvard, a spokesman for the maritime prefecture in the port of Brest, said: ‘The child was found in a state of cardio-respiratory arrest at the bottom of the ship’s pool.’

He was pulled from the pool and the cruise liner’s on-board doctor carried out CPR, which was successful in getting his heart beating again.

A French Navy NH90 twin-engine helicopter was scrambled to the scene just before 2pm after the ship’s captain raised the alarm to the Operational Centre for Maritime Surveillance and Rescue in Brittany.

The boy was flown to Morvan Hospital in Brest where his condition was last night described as ‘serious’.

It is not known how the incident occurred but it is thought an investigation will be launched into the circumstances surrounding it.

The youngsters’ parents are said to be by his bedside in hospital after joining him on the flight from the luxury cruise ship to the mainland.

A French Navy NH90 twin-engine helicopter was scrambled to the scene just before 2pm yesterday and took the boy to Morvand Hospital in Brest, France (file picture)

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A French Navy NH90 twin-engine helicopter was scrambled to the scene just before 2pm yesterday and took the boy to Morvand Hospital in Brest, France (file picture)

Last night, Mr Bouvard described the incident as ‘incomprehensible’ and told The Times: ‘What is terrible is that children can drown without making any noise at all.

‘We’ve never had a case of a boy drowning in a pool on a ship before, but we have, unfortunately, a lot of experience of that happening in pools on land, and we know that it can happen to anyone, anywhere.’

The Independence of the Seas is a 1,112 ft long vessel belonging to US company Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), which sails under the flag of the Bahamas.

According to its website, it is capable of carrying up to 4,375 passengers and 1,360 crew members.

It has three pools, including an adults-only Solarium pool, six whirlpools and a wave machine which it describes as an ‘interactive water park for kids and families filled with geysers, sculpted fountains and waterfalls.’

A seven-night stay on the Freedom-class 15-deck cruise liner for a family of four costs from around £1,600.

The luxury ship is currently on a six-night sail across western Europe, having departed from Southampton on Sunday.

MailOnline has contacted Royal Caribbean International for a statement.

Disney adds lifeguards to its cruises

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Disney adds lifeguards to its cruises

Disney Cruise Line has reportedly become the first major cruise line to install lifeguards on all of its ships.

Although no official announcement has been made, passengers on board the Disney Dream and Disney Magic have seen lifeguards stationed by family pools since late September, according to Cruise Critic.

Disney Fantasy and Disney Wonder are expected to follow suit with the new policy within the next couple of weeks.

Lifeguards will be on duty at all times the pools are open, which is generally all hours of the day, apart from night-time and if there’s bad weather. Disney stated that it regularly looks at its policies on these and all issues and is always willing to make changes where necessary.

Currently, most cruise lines do not provide life guards for their pools. However, the issue has been cast into the media spotlight in the last few weeks following the drowning of a young boy onboard a ship operated by Carnival.

The tragic event occurred onboard the Carnival Victory while it was at sea and en-route to Port Miami in the US. At the time, Carnival told the Associated Press: “To the best of our knowledge it is the first time a child has drowned aboard one of our ship.

“Carnival extends its heartfelt sympathy to the family during this very difficult time. The company’s CareTeam is providing assistance and support.”

Although such cases are rare, it did prompt many to suggest that cruise lines and hotels have an obligation to ensure that youngsters in their pools are safe. On the other hand, some remain adamant that the responsibility for watching children while they are on a cruise ship remains with parents.

According to Carol Finkelhoffe, chair of the Cruise Line & Passenger Ship Committee in the US, all cruise lines should be providing lifeguards for family pools. She said earlier this month: “Someone should be watching the pool. It’s foreseeable that these types of accidents can happen … and they should do something to prevent them.”