An Italian child, 4, came very close to drowning in a Royal Caribbean cruise ship wave pool only an hour after the ship set sail on Saturday, the Daily News reported.
The boy is in a Florida hospital in critical condition following the incident. He was swept under the waves for five to 10 minutes while there was no life guard present. The boy didn't have a pulse by the time he was rescued by another swimmer after being spotted by a sunbather on the pool's deck.
After being revived by CPR in the ship's infirmary, the vessel returned to port in Fort Lauderdale so the child would be able to be seen by a doctor. The ship, Oasis of the Seas, returned less than two hours after it departed at 4:30 p.m.
"Royal Caribbean does not have lifeguards stationed at our pools," Cynthia Martinez, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman, said in an email, the Orlando Sentinel reported. "Signs are always posted that warn passengers to swim at their own risk, similar to what you'd see at many hotels."
The boy was traveling with his sibling and parents. It's not known who was accompanying the child when he came close to drowning.
"Royal Caribbean's Care Team is providing support to the guest's family and our thoughts and prayers are with them," Martinez said in a statement.
Mike Jachles, spokesman for the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, said he hopes the child recovers and his thoughts are with him and the boy's family.
"Obviously, one can only imagine that somebody sets sail on a vacation an hour in, to turn around to something like this," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and with the child."
