SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A 1-year-old girl slipped from her grandfather's hands and fell to her death from the 11th story of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico, an attorney said on Tuesday.
Michael Winkleman, who's representing the child's family, said the girl was with her grandfather in the children's play area of the Freedom of the Seas. The toddler was banging on glass panes, and her grandfather put her on a railing. She went to bang on the panes there, but there weren't any, and she fell to her death.
Winkleman, who said the family may file a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, said the ship shouldn't have open windows in the children's play area.
Police Sgt. Nelson Sotelo told the Associated Press that the family of the child will remain in the U.S. territory until the investigation is complete. He said officers have not been able to interview any relatives yet.
"They're in shock," Sgt. Sotelo said.
Authorities said the girl was traveling with her parents, two siblings, and two sets of grandparents aboard the Freedom of the Seas, which docked in Puerto Rico on Sunday after a weeklong trip through the Caribbean.
The death occurred Sunday afternoon at the Panamerican dock in the capital of San Juan.
Sgt. Sotelo said the toddler's grandfather, Salvatore Anello of Valparaiso, Indiana, is under investigation. He said the rest of the family is from Granger, Indiana.
The police chief of South Bend, Indiana, Scott Ruszkowski, confirmed to WSBT television that the girl was the daughter of Officer Alan Wiegand, and the department issued this statement:
"The South Bend Police Department offers its sincerest condolences to Officer Alan Wiegand and his family during this difficult time following the tragic loss of their child while in Puerto Rico. The department asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy."
Chief Ruszkowski disputed the statement issued by Puerto Rico police that the girl was being held out of a window.
Royal Caribbean Cruises called it a tragic incident and said it was helping the family. A spokesperson said the ship departed Puerto Rico on Monday for St. Maarten on a new itinerary and declined further comment.
WPTV and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
