SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities say a toddler apparently slipped from her grandfather's hands and fell to her death from a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico.
Police said Monday that the grandfather of the 1-year-old girl from Indiana told officers he lost his grip while holding her outside a window on the 11th story of the Freedom of the Seas. He was identified as Salvatorre Anello.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon at the Panamerican dock in the capital of San Juan.
On Monday, the South Bend Police Department confirmed the toddler is the daughter of a South Bend police officer. The SBPD released the following statement:
The South Bend Police Department offers its sincerest condolences to Officer Alan Wiegand and his family during this difficult time following the tragic loss of their child while in Puerto Rico. The department asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy.
Royal Caribbean Cruises called it a tragic incident and said they were helping the family. They declined additional comment.
Royal Caribbean issued the following statement:
We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family. We’ve made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need. Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident.
No further details were released. The investigation is ongoing.
