Child drowns in cruise ship pool

A young child has drowned on a Florida-bound Norwegian Cruise ship, sparking further debate over whether cruise lines should employ lifeguards.

A four-year old child was pulled from a swimming pool on the Norwegian Breakaway but despite CPR by an emergency medical team, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The child’s six-year old brother was also treated and has been airlifted by a Marine Corps helicopter to a hospital at Morehead City, North Carolina.

The cruise line announced the tragedy and issued a statement on its Facebook page saying: "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this extremely difficult time and are providing full assistance and support."

The NCL Facebook page drew over 2,000 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.