Boy Dies in a Swimming Pool on Cruise Trip
A 6-year-old boy has drowned in one of the pools on board a Carnival Cruise Lines ship while at sea over the weekend. In a statement by the cruise line on Monday, officials said that the Carnival Victory was on the last leg of a four-day Caribbean cruise Sunday when the boy drowned in the mid-ship pool. The boy was in the pool area with other family members at the time of the accident.
The Miami-Dade Police Department was investigating the drowning and identified the boy as Qwentyn Hunter of Winter Garden, Fla. Investigators said the boy was with his 10-year-old brother in the pool at the time. Passengers immediately pulled the boy from the water and began CPR, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
The drowning appeared to be accidental and foul play was not suspected, police said. Carnival said in its statement, “Carnival extends its heartfelt sympathy to the family during this very difficult time. The company’s CareTeam is providing assistance and support.”
When you are on vacation, especially with the entire family, the last thing you want to think about is an accident. Taking a cruise is a wonderful way to travel in comfort to multiple destinations along the way.
Cruise ship accidents and death that occur at sea are handled differently than other types of personal injury cases. For accidents happening on a cruise ship, different laws, such as maritime law, international law, admiralty, and even law of contract are taken into consideration. Most passengers who have been injured on shipboard accidents are unaware that most cruise line companies insert contract provisions in passenger tickets which limit the amount of time for passengers suffering from injury to file any claim or begin a legal case against them. Passengers may also be required to sign waivers before being allowed to participate in some shipboard activities.
Whenever a passenger is the victim of a cruise ship or maritime accident, they must act quickly in order to preserve their legal rights. If a cruise ship passenger is injured during a cruise, they are usually required to give written notice of their intent to pursue a claim. Passengers who have suffered serious injury of the surviving family members of a passenger who has been killed while on a cruise may only a year or even less from the date that the accident occurred in order to file suit. With such a short time to act, victims often do not pursue their claim. Some travel or cruise ship companies will promise resolution of an injured passenger’s case, only to find that it was all a part of a stalling tactic to run out the clock on that passenger’s right to file a claim.
If you or a loved one was injured or is the victim on board a ship, give our offices a call. The sooner you call and engage the services of an attorney that specializes in accident law, the sooner we can ensure your right to justice and fair compensation for your claim. Our attorneys will give you the time-sensitive advice that you need. Your initial consultation with our legal professionals is free. Give us a call as soon as possible so that your legal rights protected.