A cruise trip turned into a nightmare for a family who's toddler fell to her death last Sunday. Chloe Rae Margaret Wiegand was on a Royal Carribean Cruise Ship when she fell through an open window. Details are just starting to emerge about the sad events that led to this tragedy. Chloe was only 18 months old.
Initially, it was thought that the child fell after being dangled out of a window. However, the family's lawyer has more details about the tragic events that took Chloe's life.
The family's lawyer, Michael Winkelman, told NBC News that the little girl was playing in children's play area with her grandfather at the time of the accident. Apparently there is clear glass paneling along the wall in front of a rail, except in one area where there was no glass.
According to Winkleman, the child's Gradfather (named Salvatore Anello) sat her on the rail to see outside, and this is when she fell to her death, falling more than 10 stories onto a concrete dock. The family believes that she fell when she leaned forward to bang on the glass, something she frequently does at her brother's hockey games.
The family is demanding to know why there was no glass panel in this part of the kid's play area. They are understandably heartbroken at their loss. Having an open window like that in a play area certainly seems like a bad idea, one that would cause serious safety issues.
The incident happened when the cruise ship was docked at San Juan, in Puerto Rico. The local authorities are investigating the incident, and the cruise line is working with them. Royal Carribean has stated that they are "deeply saddened" about the events. Puerto Rico's Department of Public Safety is also investigating the case. The cruise line didn't have any comments about the family's lawyers' statement.
The family is from South Bend, Indiana. The grieving parents are named Alan and Kimberly Wiegand. Alan Wiegand is reportedly an officer in the South Bend Police Department. The family plans on bringing the child's remains back to Indiana with them, hopefully sometime in the upcoming week.