United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
British boy fighting for his life after being found at the bottom of cruise ship pool
A six-year-old British boy is fighting for his life after being found unconscious at the bottom of a swimming pool on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas.
According to reports, the young boy was found at the bottom of one of the main outdoor pools on the ship as it sailed by the Breton coast yesterday.
The boy was pulled from the water and the ship’s on-board doctor carried out CPR and managed to get his heart beating again.
But the boy needed more treatment, so the ship sailed towards land to meet with an emergency helicopter which took the boy to hospital in Brest where he is reported to be in a ‘grave’ condition.
He was travelling with his parents on the ship, which had left Southampton on Sunday for six-night trip across western Europe.
Royal Caribbean has issued a statement saying its ‘Care Team’ is providing support to the guest’s family "and our thoughts and prayers are with them".
The incident is likely to spark another debate about whether cruise ships should employ lifeguards for their on board pools.
"In our view, there is no excuse not to assign lifeguards to cruise ship pools," said cruise lawyer Jim Walker today.
"The costs is minimal and the need is substantial. Yes, parents need to supervise their children but cruise lines need to exercise their corporate responsibility to supervise the pools, enforce pool rules, and be ready to perform CPR if necessary."
In the last year, four children aged six or under have drowned or nearly drowned in pools on the ships of major cruise lines.
In February of this year, a four-year old drowned on a Florida-bound Norwegian Cruise ship.
Afterwards, the NCL Facebook page drew thousands of comments from people questioning why there is a lack of lifeguards in the cruise industry.
However a sizable number of posts also noted the incident took place in an adult only pool, reiterating the need for parental supervision.
Last October a young boy drowned in a swimming pool on a Carnival cruise ship and just days later, Disney Cruise Line announced it would have lifeguards at all family pools in its four-ship fleet.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Sustainable Tourism: Don Welsh on Community Values and Global Collaboration
Jane Cunningham: Enhancing European Engagement in Tourism
Kristin Dunne: Navigating Destination Strategy
Revolutionizing Mobile Connectivity: Boris Bijlstra on HUBBY eSIM
Capturing Glasgow’s Vibrancy: An Interview with Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
EU airports bring back 100ml liquid rule
British Airways passengers endure 11-hour 'flight to nowhere'
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’
Gatwick braces for strike