Toddler death on a cruise ship. So tragic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has nothing to do with a grandparent watching a child. It could have happened to anyone. There was a low open window that should never have been open. Grandparent didn't realize it and set the child near it and child fell out.

This was not a low open window. It was at least chest high on an adult. You can see pictures of it online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. That poor family. I don’t know how you move in after something like that. I think I would have to be medicated for the rest of my life.

I don’t think you can truly move on if you focus on blaming someone else.

I don’t think I could move on regardless. Just the thought of your baby dying that way would be too much. I would need to be sedated.

My grandma lost two kids tragically and suddenly at the same time. She basically sedated herself afterward by becoming an alcoholic.

[Anonymous]

Did the child fall into the ocean after she fell through the window? How horrifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the child fall into the ocean after she fell through the window? How horrifying.

No, she hit pavement, which is even worse.

[Anonymous]

Here's a video of the exact area where the grandpa and the baby were. Notice how it's not close to the kids play area, and how the open and closed windows look different.

When did the girl fall? Before or after sunset?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e6b2VOdys

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a video of the exact area where the grandpa and the baby were. Notice how it's not close to the kids play area, and how the open and closed windows look different.

When did the girl fall? Before or after sunset?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e6b2VOdys

This is really helpful. So windows are waist high. They're also really visibly easy to tell when one is open because they're tinted blue-green. I guess you're right the only way he could have been confused is if it was after dark?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a video of the exact area where the grandpa and the baby were. Notice how it's not close to the kids play area, and how the open and closed windows look different.

When did the girl fall? Before or after sunset?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e6b2VOdys

For this discussion that is a good video but god I hate that guy for videoing everything and everyone and whistling while he's doing it! That's why I won't take a cruise. But good God that is a long way down!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a video of the exact area where the grandpa and the baby were. Notice how it's not close to the kids play area, and how the open and closed windows look different.

When did the girl fall? Before or after sunset?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e6b2VOdys

For this discussion that is a good video but god I hate that guy for videoing everything and everyone and whistling while he's doing it! That's why I won't take a cruise. But good God that is a long way down!

Guy seems like a tool.

[Anonymous]

Grandpa's fault of course. Poor girl.

[Anonymous]

This is terrible. I feel so terrible for everyone - the child,
the parents, the grandparents - everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child's grandparent did something extremely stupid like this that would have caused DC's severe injury or death if not for a few lucky inches after my DC had a similar surprise reaction. And I was only feet away because it can happen that fast. DC's reaction wasn't a surprise to me because I know DC but Grandparent doesn't. Grandparents lived in a world without carseats and so some think we're all so silly with all our worrying and childproofing so they are overly lax and this is what happens. Watch your children around grandparents and don't let them guilt you into anything.

Yep. When one of my kids was 2 years old we moved cross country. I had to stay at my parents house for a week with my 2 year old and newborn while my husband drove cross country. It was summer and my mom REFUSED to turn on the air conditioner because they "get such a lovely breeze with the window open!" She wanted us to sleep with the bedroom window open, and they have very low windows that my 2 year old could EASILY reach (about waist high on him!) I was terrified that he would wake in the middle of the night and walk over to the window and fall out.

NO WAY! I kept the windows closed. It was excruciatingly hot, and she called me "an abusive mother" for not opening the windows. In hind sight I wish I had called a taxi and headed to the nearest hotel, but I was in a tough situation, just a couple weeks post partum with a newborn, 2 year old, dealing with the stress of a cross country move and my own mother actively working against me.

But yes, some grandparents certainly don't take the safety precautions they should.

I would have called a cab and left the minute the AC was turned off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So he had her in his arms and let her lean out thinking the window was closed? How did he not know the window was open?

Exactly. Walking up to it, the window probably looked closed. But the breeze should have been a big clue. But once he got to the window, there is zero chance he couldn’t tell the window was open when he “placed the child on the railing”. Nor could he have missed the wind blowing on both of them. Grandpa was leaning on or out the railing with the child to look at the view when he dropped her. Maybe she squirmed or maybe he just lost his grip. Doesn’t matter. There’s no way he missed the window was open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a video of the exact area where the grandpa and the baby were. Notice how it's not close to the kids play area, and how the open and closed windows look different.

When did the girl fall? Before or after sunset?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5e6b2VOdys

For this discussion that is a good video but god I hate that guy for videoing everything and everyone and whistling while he's doing it! That's why I won't take a cruise. But good God that is a long way down!

This video was taken in 2016.

The windows are tinted green so you can clearly tell which ones are open. Plus there's an interior brass bar to keep passengers back a foot from the window.
Clearly the grandfather was 100% to blame for doing something stupid. I'm sure he thought, "let me give her a better view!" and he held her out above the sill and then someone bumped him from behind or he coughed or he sneezed or he had a TIA (mini stroke) or any number of things that might cause a person to loosen their grip. Or the kid did a sudden or harm squirm that he wasn't anticipating.

I had three kids and between ages 1 and 4 there were definitely a few times when they wriggled hard and I lost my grip when holding one of them. Especially at 18 months. Kids that age can be strong! However, as the mom (who carried them all the time) I knew their potential for unexpected flailing and would never dangle one of them over a railing. The grandfather was probably far less familiar with the flailing of an 18 month old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't put your child on a railing on a freaking cruise ship.

It's not just cruise ships. I saw people letting their toddlers run around at the Grand Canyon and holding them out over the edge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't put your child on a railing on a freaking cruise ship.

It's not just cruise ships. I saw people letting their toddlers run around at the Grand Canyon and holding them out over the edge.

My heart stopped just reading that. Holy crap please say you're exaggerating.