Boy Drowns in Carnival Cruise Ship Pool: Wrongful Death?

Just days after workers lifted the Costa Concordia from its horizontal state off the coast of Italy following that ship’s disastrous wreck nearly two years ago, the ship’s parent company is again in hot water – a Florida boy has died after drowning in a Carnival Cruise ship pool.

Carnival Cruise can’t seem to keep themselves out of the news – if their ships aren’t crashing outside of Italy, they’re losing power in the middle of the ocean, stranding passengers in a floating sewage tank, or they’re playing host to a fatal swimming accident. According to this article from CNN, the 6-year-old victim, who was pulled out of the water by an onlooker after he was seen struggling in the water – despite resuscitation efforts by a member of the crew, the boy was pronounced dead shortly after his struggle in the water.

The boy’s drowning took place on the final day of the cruise, as the ship, named the “Carnival Victory,” returned to Florida, having nearly completed a 4-day cruise around the Caribbean. (Needless to say, despite the ship’s name, this trip was no carnival and it was no victory – it was an example of corporate disregard for customer well-being.)

This horrible incident raises quite a few questions. Among them: isn’t Carnival a mammoth company that operates expensive, well-funded cruise lines all around the world? Doesn’t this company have the resources to provide supervision for their pools? Yes, Carnival is a gigantic corporation, one that has over $35 billion in assets. A spokesperson for the company, however, said that it is company policy not to have lifeguards oversee the pools on the ships – according to Carnival, that responsibility is up to the parents.

A company as successful as Carnival should be aware that young children often disregard parental advice and do as they please. Had Carnival supplied a lifeguard at the pool, this 6-year-old might not be dead, and his family might not be forced to figure out how to move on without the companionship and love of their young son. While this is certainly an issue of questionable business policy, it might too be an issue of wrongful death. It is feasible that Carnival could be held liable for the boy’s death and the associated damages, due to the negligence with which they conduct and employ “safety” measures (or lack thereof) on their ships.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), on average, 10 people die every day from unintentional drowning in the U.S. 20% of these victims are under the age of 14. Children must be supervised, especially in situations that have the capacity to turn deadly.

If your child has been injured due to a lack of reasonable safety measures, such as the absence of lifeguards by pools or similar safeguards near other dangerous situations, please reach out to us. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg are available for a free consultation – we can be reached by phone at 561.266.9191 or by email at daronberg@build.simple.biz.

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