Twelve-Year-Old Falls from Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise watched in shock as a 12-year-old boy fell from a 13th-floor balcony on the final night of their voyage. The Harmony of the Seas, carrying thousands of passengers, was en route to Galveston, Texas, after a seven-day cruise through the Western Caribbean on Saturday. Witnesses reported that the boy had been playing with friends he had made during the trip just moments before he fell over the cabin railing into the ship’s Central Park area, a plaza featuring bars, pubs, and restaurants.

Royal Caribbean staff tried to resuscitate the young boy, but he passed away before the ship could dock in Texas.

The boy is reported to have fallen five-stories from a cabin balcony to the Central Park atrium

The boy reportedly fell five stories from a cabin balcony into the Central Park atrium.

When it was launched in 2016, the French-built ship was the largest cruise liner in the world, offering accommodations for over 7,000 passengers across its 18 decks.

Friends reported that the boy was on the ship with his family, including two sisters, to celebrate a birthday.

Passengers waiting to board at Galveston for the next cruise were informed that they would need to delay their boarding as investigations were underway on the ship.

Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement that there had been a death on board and that the staff were in touch with the family. However, the company declined to provide further details. Witnesses described seeing the boy fall from his family’s cabin on Deck 14 to the Central Park atrium on Deck 8 around 5 p.m.

Melissa Anderson wrote, “We were a few rooms down and saw undercover officers investigating the room this morning. There were birthday decorations on the door and inside the room, with a chair pushed against the balcony.”

Becky Potter added, “It had rained that afternoon, making the balconies damp. It would be difficult to fall if standing on the ground, but if on the chairs or a wet tabletop, anything is possible.”

The French-built ship, which was the world’s largest cruise liner when it launched in 2016, has 18 decks and can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers. Designed with families in mind, it offers numerous opportunities for children to make friends and engage in supervised activities with peers their age.

Passengers reacted with horror to the news on one of the ship's private Facebook groups

Passengers expressed their shock and horror in one of the ship’s private Facebook groups.

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

In 2019, a 16-year-old passenger fell to his death while attempting to climb back into his eighth-deck cabin after locking himself out. The teenager had participated in the cruise’s teen club, and many passengers noted that their children had formed friendships with him before his tragic death.

Shannon Elizabeth from Belfair, Washington, shared her experience: “The conversations I had to have with my son were really challenging. My son had become quite close with the boy, and he witnessed much of what happened.”

Christa Schoolfield recounted, “My family and I saw the incident unfold as we looked down into Central Park from the pool deck. We couldn’t tell if he jumped or was just playing around.”

In another incident, Laurent Mercer from Wallis and Futuna was declared dead after falling onto a quay while the ship was docked in Labadee, Haiti, during a seven-day cruise in 2019.

Last November, a similar tragedy occurred on the Harmony’s sister ship, the Allure of the Seas. A 16-year-old boy fell from his rain-soaked cabin balcony into the Central Park area while the ship was en route from Port Canaveral, Florida, to Nassau in the Bahamas. Passengers on the Allure heard an urgent announcement calling for blood donors in the early hours of the morning.

The boy’s mother, Aymee Comas-Diaz, later expressed her gratitude to those who tried to assist her son. “I can’t begin to express how much it meant to me and my family to see so many strangers come forward to help,” she wrote on Facebook. “And to the lady who gave me a hug, thank you so much. I needed it.”

Some passengers wondered if they could help the boy's grieving family

Some passengers on the Harmony of the Seas considered ways they might support the grieving family following the tragic incident involving the 12-year-old boy.

Throughout the cruise, passengers had been unsettled by a series of ‘alpha alpha’ emergency alerts, culminating in the final alert that indicated the boy’s fatal fall on Saturday.

One passenger shared, “I looked over the railing after the emergency alert and wish I hadn’t. My condolences to the family.”

An anonymous passenger posted on Facebook, “I witnessed the incident with the 12-year-old boy. I stayed with him the entire time, hoping for any sign of life and to let him know he wasn’t alone when he passed. I have opinions on how the staff and medical personnel handled the situation, which I will address at a later time. For now, please hug your children tightly and tell your loved ones you care. Life can change in an instant. One moment I was hiding ducks in Central Park, and the next, a child’s life was lost before me.”

Dailymail.com has reached out to Royal Caribbean for further information.