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Fbi to investigate death of 12-year-old boy who fell from balcony of royal caribbean cruise ship.

The FBI will investigate the death of a boy who fell head-first over a balcony railing on a luxury cruise ship on Sunday.

The 12-year-old was playing with friends he had made on the cruise, which was travelling to Galveston in Texas, when he toppled over the railing of his family’s 14th-floor room .

He fell six decks below into the Central Park area of the ship — a plaza filled with bars, shops and restaurants.

Staff tried to save the boy but he died before the ship could dock and get help.

The FBI has now confirmed it will investigate the boy’s death, The Washington Post reported , as the “primary federal agency authorised to investigate potential crimes on the high seas”.

It will conduct its investigation alongside the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.

The accident took place on the family’s last night of a seven-day cruise of the Caribbean on the 16-deck Harmony Of The Seas.

It’s understood the boy was on the cruise with his family, including two sisters, for a birthday celebration.

In the wake of the tragedy witnesses posted about the accident online, with many saying they were shaken up by what happened.

“I witnessed the incident with the 12yo boy that passed away, I stayed with him the entire time hoping to see any sign of life and to let him know he wasn’t alone when he passed,” one anonymous passenger posted on Facebook.

Another said she saw the incident unfold as they were looking down on Central Park from the pool deck.

“We did not see whether he jumped or was playing around,” Christa Schoolfield said.

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship is one of the world’s largest and can hold up to 7000 passengers.

It features multiple water slides, a zip-line, a surfing simulator and live entertainment shows.

Royal Caribbean said it was “deeply saddened” by the boy’s death.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said.

“For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

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Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas passenger, 12, dies after falling from balcony: report

Rescue team searches for man who jumped off world’s largest cruise ship.

A passenger was reported dead after jumping off the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas on May 26. (Credit: @GenAIChad via Storyful)

The FBI reportedly is investigating the death of a 12-year-old child who fell from a balcony onboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise ship.  

The incident happened Saturday night in the ship’s interior Central Park area as the ship was heading back to port in Galveston, Texas, according to the website Royal Caribbean Blog. The cruise line describes Central Park as "upscale exquisite public gathering place featuring serene pathways, seasonal flower gardens and canopy trees." 

"We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests," Royal Caribbean said in a statement to media outlets. "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." 

It’s unclear how the child fell, but the FBI told The Washington Post that it is investigating the matter along with the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

SOCIAL MEDIA USERS GET DRAMATIC AFTER CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP HITS ICE IN ALASKA: ‘TITANIC MOVEMENT’  

People watch as the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas cruise ship departs from Port Canaveral, Florida, in January 2022. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Both the FBI and Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment from FOX Business. 

The ship was wrapping up a 7-night cruise to the Western Caribbean – with stops in Honduras and Mexico – when the death happened. 

Staff onboard the Harmony of the Seas tried to resuscitate the passenger following his fall, but their efforts were unsuccessful, Royal Caribbean Blog reports.  

The Harmony of the Seas then returned to Texas the following day, with Royal Caribbean telling passengers on the ship’s next voyage that boarding would be delayed by one hour, the website adds. 

"Due to an emergency on our previous sailing, our boarding tomorrow will be delayed," said a statement reportedly emailed to passengers, "As a result, the terminal will be closed until 12 PM." 

Harmony of the Seas is based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and "spans 16 guest decks, encompasses 226,963 gross registered tons, carries 5,497 guests at double occupancy, and features 2,747 staterooms," according to the cruise line. 

In 2019, a 16-year-old male passenger died onboard the Harmony of the Seas while trying to enter his cabin through a nearby balcony, Royal Caribbean Blog also reports. 

LINK: Get updates on this story and more at foxbusiness.com.

Cruise Ship Killers – The REAL Deaths Behind The Show (Episode Guide)

The TV show cruise ship killers describes itself as ‘true crime’. Names, details, and locations have been changed but are these stories really based on real murders?

In this post, we look at the truth behind the episodes and the real-life cases that match the circumstance of the murders mentioned on the show.

Is Cruise Ship Killers Real?

The stories told in Cruise Ship Killers are based on real cruise ship murders. Names, details, and locations have been changed but it is possible to match each episode to a real murder that’s happened onboard a cruise ship.

The majority of cruise ship deaths are caused by natural causes or accidents but with 30 million people taking a cruise each year, murders do happen.

Where Can I Watch Cruise Ship Killers?

Cruise ship killers is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

If you don’t have Amazon Prime you can use this link to sign up for a 30-day free trial. (It’s definitely possible to watch all episodes within 30 days if you want to).

Episode Guide – ASHLEY

The episode about ‘Ashley’ is based on the murder of a woman called Karen Roston. She was killed on the Stardancer in 1988 by her husband on her honeymoon.

The Stardancer was later renamed the MS Ocean Gala 1 before being scrapped in 2018.

What Happened? – Murder of Karen Roston

Karen’s husband Scott strangled her to death before throwing her overboard in order to make it look like she had an accident. Scott informed the authorities of the cruise ship that Karen had ‘gone overboard’ at around 3 am.

It is said that Scott’s story was inconsistent, at first he said that she had been blown overboard when they were running on the running track of the ship. He then later changed his story and said that she had fallen overboard.

Karen was only 5’3 so it was almost impossible for her to fall over the high railing.

She was 26 years old and had only been married to Scott for 9 days before the accident took place.

Karens body was found and it was determined that she was unconscious, but not dead when she hit the water.

Episode Guide – SHELLY

What happened – murder of yang wenjuan.

Yang Wenjuan was cruising with her husband Wang Weilie onboard the MV Macau Success in 2010. Wang admitted to throwing his wife overboard but said that he only did this after he thought she was already dead.

He claimed that she was trying to kill herself and knocked herself unconscious.

Wang then claims that he knew that she wanted to be buried at sea so he threw her body overboard. He was found in his cabin covered in blood. Witnesses report seeing Yang’s body falling to the ocean and there are also reports of people seeing the couple arguing earlier in the day.

What Happened? – Murder of Lynne Kauff man

Lynn Kauffman was 23 at the time of her murder. She was sailing onboard the SS Utrecht and was murdered in the port of Boston, Massachusetts. Lynn Kauffman was having an affair with a crew radio operator named VanRie. It is thought that VanRie had lied to Lynn Kauffman about the fact that he was already married. VanRie was taken to trial for the death of Lynn Kauffman but was found not guilty. He initially claimed that the last time he saw her alive was on the morning of the day that she died before changing his statement to admit that he saw her in the evening. It was determined that Lynn Kauffman had been beaten before she drowned in the harbor.

Episode Guide – JACOB

What happened – murder of charles a. fink.

Charles Fink was sailing from Norway to the US. It was reported that he was carrying a large amount of money as he was planning on starting a new business in the US. He gave the money to the ship’s purser for safekeeping but it’s reported that after he was murdered, the murderer looked through his belongings. It’s suspected that they were looking for the cash that Charles had bought onboard. Nobody was ever bought to trial for Charles’s murder. The cruise line maintained that Charles must have jumped overboard.

Episode Guide – BETSY

What happened – murder of jessie harper mozee.

Jessie Harper Mozee was a former teacher in her 50s. She was sailing with a large amount of money and expensive jewelry onboard the SS Seeandbee. Her body was found overboard but nobody was ever convicted of her murder. During the cruise, Jessie had a maid who looked after her, shortly after her murder the maid went missing, as did the money and jewelry. The maid is the primary suspect in this case, if not of murder, of at least theft.

It took the ship 15 days to report Jessie as a missing person.

Episode Guide – ANNA

What happened – murder of adriana morales de florencio.

Adriana was a Royal Caribbean employee who went missing after she disembarked in Bonaire.

Her body was found 9 days later in a shallow grave. The man who was found guilty was found guilty of a crime of manslaughter and illegal firearm possession. He stabbed Adriana to death.

Episode Guide – AMY

What happened – disappearance of amy bradley.

In 1998 Amy Bradley was 23 and she went missing from the Rhapsody of The Seas. She was last seen around 5 am sleeping on her balcony. The cruise line searched the cruise ship but was not able to find any signs of Amy. There was no evidence that she had fallen overboard or committed suicide and there were no sightings of her. None of her belongings had been taken. There have been multiple reported sightings of Amy since she went missing, some in Curacao and more recently in Barbados. Amy remains to this day a missing person and there is hope that she is still alive somewhere.

Episode Guide – SARAH

What happened – death of camilla peixoto bandeira.

Camilla was a 28-year-old bartender working onboard the MSC Musica. Her boyfriend also worked on board as a waiter.

Camilla’s boyfriend claimed that Camilla had committed suicide by hanging herself in the cabin. He repeatedly changed his story and the door entry technology showed that nobody had entered or left the room during this time. During their time working on the ship, Camilla had been to the medical center for bruises and other injuries that are suspected to have been caused by her boyfriend. Her death has been reported as a ‘suspicious hanging’. Nobody has been charged with Camilla’s murder.

Episode Guide – MERRIAN

What happened – murder of merrian carver.

In 2004 a 40-year-old lady named Merrian was taking a cruise to Alaska on board the Celebrity Mercury. She disappeared without a trace.

It took 26 days after Merrian’s disappearance for her to be reported as a missing person and for the search for her to start. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. The cruise line confirmed that Merrian hadn’t been in her cabin since the first day of the cruise but said that this wasn’t abnormal. It was thought that she may have disembarked or have been staying with friends in another cabin. All of her belongings were left behind.

What Happened? – Murder of Angelo Faliva

Angelo Faliva was a chef employed onboard the Coral Princess. In 2009 he was cruising near Columbia when he went missing. He was meant to work until 10 pm but unexpectedly left his shift around 8 pm, he was never seen again.

It is unknown if Angelo committed suicide, was murdered, or if something else happened to him. This case remains unsolved.

Episode Guide – BILL

What happened – death of andy wallis.

In 1999 Andy Wallis took a cruise onboard Princess’s Grand Princess with his wife and a few of their friends. Andy was up late gambling in the casino when he won a large amount of money. He came back to his cabin excited to tell his wife which he did. Shortly after he went missing and wasn’t seen again. Andys body later washed up onshore. It is still unknown what happened to Andy.

Episode Guide – George

What happened – death of george smith iv.

George took a honeymoon cruise with his wife Jennifer, they had only been married for a few days at the time of his death.

He was 26 at the time and went overboard in suspicious circumstances. George’s family believes that George was murdered however there hasn’t been sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and the FBI closed the investigation in 2015. 10 years after George went missing. Photographs of blood on the canopy below George’s cabin were found as well as video footage of a group of men joking about the death of George.

Episode Guide – SALLY

What happened – ruby roegge.

In 1929 37-year-old woman called Ruby was sailing onboard the SS Mongolia. She died on board and it was later found out that she had been poisoned . Nobody was ever convicted of her death although is it assumed to have been the result of foul play.

Cruise Ship Murder Mystery Books

If the show has piqued your interest in cruise ship killers, Steve Higgs has created a series of cruise ship mystery books which while not as gruesome as the murders mentioned above, are gripping and exciting. It’s tricky to put the books down once you’ve started reading or listening, despite the often series subjects the books are still funny and easy to read.

The books follow the adventures of Patricia Fisher as she solves crimes on cruise ships. The books can be found here (affiliate link): Cruise Ship Murder Mysteries .

How Many People Die on Cruise Ships Each Year?

To learn more about cruise ship deaths, including how many people die each year and what the most common causes of death are, check out this post:

Cruise Ship Deaths – Annual Statistics, Causes and Real Examples

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.

This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.

Whenever I take a cruise I order a print of my trip. It uses the real satellite data from the cruise and is always a great conversation starter!

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Boy, 12, dies after falling from balcony on Texas-bound Royal Caribbean cruise ship

A 12-year-old boy died after he plummeted from a balcony of a Texas-bound Royal Caribbean cruise ship onto the deck where the bars, restaurants and shops were located.

The child, who has yet to be identified, fell to his death on the night of Sept 7.

Witnesses told British tabloid The Sun that the boy was playing with friends he had made on the trip when he went over the balcony of a cabin on Deck 14.

He landed on Deck 8, known as the “Central Park” area of the ship, Harmony of the Seas.

Crew members tried to resuscitate him, but the boy died before the ship docked in Galveston, Texas, at the end of a seven-day western Caribbean cruise.

Passenger Christa Schoolfield said on Facebook: “My family and I saw the incident unfold right before us as we were looking down into Central Park from the pool deck.”

The Sun reported that the boy was on the cruise with his family for a birthday celebration.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, together with the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection agency.

For now, it is not known what caused the child to fall over the railing.

Royal Caribbean confirmed the incident but did not provide more details.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests,” the company said in a statement.

“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.”

The 120,000-tonne Harmony of the Seas was the world’s largest cruise ship when it was launched in November 2016.

It is taller than a 25-storey building and longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower.

The vessel has 16 guest decks and 2,747 rooms, and can carry nearly 5,500 guests.

It also has multiple-deck waterslides, a zip line and surf simulators.

The boy’s fall is not the first incident involving Harmony of the Seas.

In September 2016, before the ship’s launch, one crew member died and four others were injured when a lifeboat suddenly detached during a safety exercise.

In 2019, a 16-year-old fell to his death while trying to climb into his room from a nearby balcony as he had forgotten his room key.

A year earlier, British entertainer Arron Hough went missing from the ship when it was 430km off Puerto Rico. A multi-day search for the 20-year-old failed to find any trace of him.

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12-Year-Old Boy Falls to His Death from Balcony of Cruise Ship Heading for Galveston, Texas

"We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests," Royal Caribbean told PEOPLE in a statement

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty

A 12-year-old boy has died after falling from the balcony of a cruise ship.

The pre-teen was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas — which was en route to Galveston, Texas at the end of a week-long cruise — when the incident happened on Saturday, Sept. 7.

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.”

PEOPLE has confirmed that the boy fell at the ‘Central Park’ area of the ship, located on deck 8, where many of the vessel’s bars, restaurants and shops live. He sadly died before the vessel docked in Texas.

royal caribbean

The news comes after a 16-year-old boy also fell to his death on the ship back in 2019.

According to multiple outlets, the teenager fell while attempting to climb into his room from the balcony. 

At the time, Royal Caribbean corporate communications manager, Owen Torres, confirmed the death in a statement to PEOPLE. “We are saddened by the loss of one of our guests in a tragic accident,” the statement read. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The Broward Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement at the time that the boy was on the eighth floor of Harmony of the Seas when he attempted to climb into his room because he forgot his room key.

According to a press release from Royal Caribbean, Harmony of the Seas was the world’s largest cruise liner when it launched in 2016. She departed on her maiden voyage in November 2016 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  

The vessel has 16 guest decks, 2,747 staterooms and can carry over 5,000 guests. 

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12-year-old boy dies after falling over balcony on cruise headed for Texas

The boy has not been identified, article bookmarked.

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A 12-year-old boy has died after falling off a balcony while on board a Royal Caribbean cruise .

The young boy fell to his death on September 7 while on board the Harmony of the Seas as it sailed toward Galveston , Texas at the end of a week-long trip . He fell off a balcony on Deck 8, known as the “Central Park” area of the ship where there are many restaurants and stores, PEOPLE reports.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement. “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,” the spokesperson added.

The boy has not been identified, and it is not yet clear what caused him to fall off the balcony.

Just last month, a British man reportedly fell overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas cruise near Croatia . The search was called off after nearly 40 hours.

“Since the man has been in the sea for over 40 hours, we are already losing hope,” Sanjin Dumanic, president of the Association of Croatian Sea Captains, said at the time.

“We would all like him to be found, but 40 hours is a very long time, and we are losing hope that this search will end successfully”.

Then, back in May, a passenger died after jumping overboard from Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship after it set sail from Florida .

The man reportedly jumped from the Icon of the Seas after it left a Florida port. He was rescued from the water and brought back on board before succumbing to his injuries.

The cruise company also issued a statement declining to provide details on his identity.

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12-year-old cruise ship passenger falls to his death on final day of journey.

A 12-year-old boy fell to his death from a balcony on a Royal Caribbean ship just before it docked in Texas on the final day of a weeklong cruise, according to reports.

The unidentified preteen fell from an upper deck — where he had climbed a balcony — and landed in the “Central Park” area of the Harmony of the Seas, a bustling spot filled with bars, restaurants and shops,  according to People.

The ship’s crew tried to resuscitate the boy, but he died before the boat could dock in Galveston on Sept. 8,  Royal Caribbean Blog reported.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests,” a Royal Caribbean rep told The Post in an emailed statement.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” the statement continued. “For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

The Harmony of the Seas had just finished a seven-night cruise through the western Caribbean when the tragedy happened, the blog reported.

Witnesses say the boy had been playing with friends he’d met on board just before he tumbled over the stateroom’s balcony railing, it added.

“My daughter was friends with him and said he was upset today,” Sara Tullas, who appears to be a passenger, wrote in a Harmony of the Seas Facebook group.

“If anyone knows the family, please send them thoughts and prayers,” the post continued. “I don’t want to release his name, but wow. I wish I would have known he was struggling today.”

The ordeal also delayed the ship’s plan to board passengers for the next voyage. 

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Horror as boy, 12, plunges to his death from balcony after 'playing with new friends' on luxury cruise ship

A boy has plunged to his death from a balcony in front of horrified passengers on a Caribbean cruise.

The 12-year-old died after falling from the 13th floor into the ‘central plaza’ of the vessel where people were in bars and restaurants.

Thousands were aboard the Harmony of the Seas as it headed towards Galveston, Texas, at the close of a week-long cruise on Saturday.

Witnesses said the boy had been playing with a group of new friends he had met on the ship before falling over the cabin railing.

Ship staff battled to save the boy but he died before the vessel docked in Texas.

Sara Tullas posted on a Facebook page for passengers: “My daughter was friends with him ... She is so upset.”

The boy was reportedly on board with his family, including two sisters, for a birthday celebration.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement that a death had occurred on board and that staff were in contact with the family.

Witnesses said the boy had fallen from his family's cabin on Deck 14 to the Central Park atrium on Deck 8 at around 5pm.

Melissa Anderson wrote: “We were a few rooms down and saw undercover cops investigating the room this morning.

“Birthday decorations on the door and inside the room, with a chair pushed against the balcony.”

The French-built ship was the world's largest cruise liner when it was launched in 2016, with rooms for more than 7,000 passengers across its 18 decks.

The advertising for the ship promises focuses on families promising “endless opportunities” for children to “make friends and engage in fun, educational, supervised activities with other cruisers in their age group”.

Passengers said the boy had taken part in the teen club on the cruise and had made many friends.

Shannon Elizabeth from Washington wrote: “My son and him actually got really close on the cruise, and he saw too much of what happened.”

In 2019 a 16-year-old passenger slipped and fell to his death on the boat while trying to climb into the balcony of his eighth-deck cabin after locking himself out.

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Boy, 12, dies after falling from 14th-floor balcony on Caribbean cruise ship ‘while playing with pals he’d met onboard’

• Katie Davis , Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)
• Published : 6:58, 11 Sep 2024
• Updated : 13:40, 11 Sep 2024

A BOY of 12 has plunged head first to his death from a 14th-floor balcony on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Passengers on the Harmony of the Seas watched on in horror as the youngster toppled over the railing on the final night of their cruise.

The ship - which can hold 5,479 passengers across 16 decks - was heading towards Galveston, Texas , when the child fell.

Witnesses said the boy was playing with friends he had made on the trip when he went over the cabin railing.

He plummeted into the internal Central Park area of the ship that has bars, restaurants and pubs.

Witnesses said the child fell from his family's cabin on Deck 14 to the atrium on Deck 8.

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Staff battled to resuscitate him, but he died before the ship docked on September 8.

Did you witness the incident on the ship? Email [email protected]

It is understood the boy was on the cruise with his family for a birthday celebration.

Passengers waiting to board the ship for its next cruise from Galveston were told it was delayed as an investigation was launched.

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Royal Caribbean confirmed a passenger had died on board but did not give any more detail.

In 2019, a 16-year-old fell to his death on the luxury cruise ship while trying to climb from an eighth floor balcony.

Laurent Mercer plunged as he was trying to reach his family’s stateroom as he didn't have his room card.

The ship was docked at the port of Labadee in Haiti in the middle of a seven-day Caribbean cruise being taken by the boy’s family.

In 2018, British entertainer Arron Hough from Sunderland disappeared on Christmas Day from the Harmony of the Seas as it sailed off Puerto Rico.

And one person was killed and another four injured after a lifeboat suddenly detached from the Harmony of the Seas in 2016.

The accident reportedly happened during a "security exercise" when the 227,000-tonne ship was docked in the French port of Marseilles.

The vessel dropped around ten metres killing a 42-year-old Filipino.

Harmony of the Seas can hold more than 8,000 passengers and crew.

Owned by Royal Caribbean International, the record-breaking ship is higher than a 25-storey building and forth largest passenger ship in the world.

The boat has been compared to a floating city with more than 2,747 staterooms, 20 restaurants, 23 swimming pools and a park with more than 10,000 plants and 50 trees.

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It also boasts ‘seven neighbourhoods’ which include a cinema, promenade, sports and youth zones, an entertainment palace and a spa and fitness centre.

At 1,188 feet long, the 16-deck ship is bigger than the Eiffel Tower and is the widest cruise ship ever built at 215 feet.

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A 12-year-old boy is dead after falling from the balcony of a cruise ship before it docked in Texas over the weekend.

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Boy, 12, falls to his death aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ship Back to video

Reports suggested the preteen was attempting to climb back into his room aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas after apparently forgetting his room key.

The ship was heading to Galveston, Texas, on Saturday near the end of a week-long cruise when the boy fell from an eighth-floor interior balcony at the Central Park area of the ship, one of seven neighbourhoods where many bars, restaurants and shops are located.

Despite the best efforts of the ship’s medical staff, the boy died of his injuries at the medical centre.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told People in a statement .

“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.”

The boy was with his family to celebrate a birthday and was playing with other children aboard the ship before tragedy struck.

Passengers shared their sadness on social media.

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“My daughter was friends with him and said he was upset today,” wrote Sara Tullas in a Harmony of the Seas Facebook group, according to Royal Caribbean Blog .

Another passenger said her son was playing with the boy when he fell from the balcony.

“I haven’t been able to really wrap my head around this and the conversations I have had to have with my son really tripped me up,” Shannon Elizabeth wrote.

“My son made friends with this boy and he saw too much of what happened. Just breaks my heart and the fact we were (on) this boat is just wild.”

The is the second death aboard Harmony of the Seas since it launched eight years ago. In 2019, a 16-year-old boy also fell to his death on the ship.

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Man Who Jumped From World's Largest Cruise Ship Fell 90 Feet to His Death, Security Says

T he man who jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship last weekend fell a horrifying 90 feet to his death, sources onboard the ship said.

The male passenger, whose identity remains unknown, leapt from the running track on the fifth level of Royal Caribbean’s record-breaking Icon of the Seas.

The incident occurred on the first day of the week-long cruise, not long after the ship departed from Florida. The ship was only about 300 miles from Port Miami at the time of the jump.

Each deck of the enormous ship stands around 20 feet high, meaning the man’s fall stretched about 90 feet, a security team member told The NY Post upon the ship’s return to Miami.

Police met with staffers at the Miami docks, collecting statements and a copy of the surveillance footage of the man’s fatal jump.

The May 26 incident instantly triggered the overboard detection system, after which staffers and security quickly worked to rescue the passenger.

"We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we're supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him," a source said, adding that a security guard on staff saw the man jump via the camera feed from the ship deck.

"It's the captain's call whether to stop and turn around, and he did," he added.

Cruise Ship Crew Attended to Passenger’s Family After His Death

A security team then prepared a rescue boat and departed the ship to retrieve the overboard passenger from the ocean. Meanwhile, other security team members completed a scan of the water and notified the Coast Guard.

Back on board, staff transported the man to the medical bay, where he was pronounced deceased. His body was stored in the on-board morgue – equipped with eight drawers – until the ship returned to Florida.

The Icon of the Seas saw no further fatalities on its one-week voyage to Honduras, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

Loved ones of the deceased had the option to fly home if they wished. Most, however, chose to stay with their relative’s body on the ship.

A small group of 20 or so onboard held a memorial for the unnamed man. The remaining passengers enjoyed the cruise as normal for the rest of the week.

FBI investigating death of 12-year-old boy who fell from balcony of cruise ship

This was the second boy who died on the royal caribbean cruise ship in recent years..

A 12-year-old boy has died after falling from the balcony of a Royal Caribbean   cruise ship .

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas was on a seven-day cruise in the western Caribbean with stops in Honduras and Mexico.

'We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests.'

On Saturday, the ship was en route to Galveston, Texas .

On the last night of the cruise, a 12-year-old boy plummeted to his death after falling from a balcony.

According to People magazine , the boy fell from the ship's "Central Park" neighborhood — an open area in the ship's interior on the 8th deck — which includes bars, restaurants, shops, and more than 10,000 plants and flowers.

The FBI confirmed that it was investigating the incident, according to the Washington Post , noting that it's “the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas,” and was coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.

Royal Caribbean released a statement on the boy's death: “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.”

The FBI and Royal Caribbean did not reveal the circumstances of how the boy fell from the balcony.

The Harmony of the Seas cruise ship docked in Galveston at 7 a.m. Sunday, according to cruise tracking site CruiseMapper .

In 2019, a 16-year-old boy fell to his death while attempting to climb into his room from the balcony of the Harmony of the Seas ship. The teen was on the eighth floor, according to the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office. The teen reportedly fell and landed on a pier after attempting to climb into his room from a nearby balcony because he forgot his room key.

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act that was passed in 2010, railings on cruise ships must be at least 42 inches tall.

Harmony of the Seas was first launched in 2016 and has 18 decks and a maximum capacity of 6,687.

Between 1995 and 2024, there were 416 people who went overboard while on cruise ships, according to data compiled by cruise industry researcher Ross Klein.

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