Chloe Wiegand is the 1-year-old toddler who died after she fell out the 11th-story window of a Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas cruise ship in Puerto Rico on July 7, 2019. The authorities alleged that she slipped off her grandfather’s, Salvatore Anello arms.

Chloe Wiegand Family

Chloe was the daughter of Alan Wiegand who is an Indiana police officer and Kimberly Wiegand. At the time of her death, Chloe was on vacation with her parents, two siblings and both sets of grandparents.

Chloe Wiegand Cruise Ship

Chloe and her family were on vacation when Chloe fell from the 11th floor of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship. According to José Carmona, Puerto Rico Ports Authority spokesman, the family was gathered in or near a dining hall on the 11th floor and that the grandfather sat the toddler on the edge of a window.

The boat has a height of around 210ft and holds around 4,000 passengers and was ending a seven-day Southern Caribbean cruise of Antigua, St Lucia and Barbados at the time of the tragedy.

Chloe Wiegand Slipped Off Her Grandfather’s Arms

According to Telemundo PR Chloe was being held by her grandfather when he slipped out of his arms and plunged from the 11th floor of the Freedom of the Seas to the concrete on the Pan American dock II in San Juan.

The captain of the ship gave his condolences and announced that the boat’s departure would be delayed.

On July 8, Royal Caribbean released a 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.”

The local authorities said the family would remain in Puerto Rico until the investigation was complete. The Police Sgt. Nelson Sotelo added that Salvatore Anello was under investigation to determine whether to file negligence charges against him.

Statement from SBPD regarding the tragic news coming out of Puerto Rico involving the family of one of our officers. #southbend pic.twitter.com/xjyDSgmV8X

— South Bend Police (@southbendpolice) July 8, 2019

We are saddened by the terrible accident that took the life of Officer Wiegand’s young daughter, and the city is holding this family in our hearts. https://t.co/suAIxHNn2W

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 9, 2019

Chloe Wiegand Family Alleges The Window Was Open

Chloe’s family have disputed the reports that she slipped off her grandfather’s arms claiming that she fell from a wooden railing in the children’s play area.

According to the family’s lawyer, Michael Winkleman, her grandfather put the girl on a ledge near a window in a children’s area but was unaware that the window was open.

“Chloe and Anello were in the water park on the ship, which is designed for the kids — kids are meant to be there and there’s a whole wall of windows. And the grandfather thought that this window was closed. It turns out, we’ve come to learn, that … passengers can open these windows.

You have a wall of windows with one hidden hole. Essentially her grandfather lifts her up and puts her on a railing and where he thinks that there is glass there because it’s clear, but it turns out there was no glass there. She goes to bang on the glass like she would have at one of those hockey rinks, and the next thing you know, she’s gone.”

Winkleman added that there was no alcohol involved and that kids falling out of the windows was nothing new but there are laws designed to prevent that; “Kids falling out of windows is nothing new. There are federal laws and federal standards that are designed to specifically prevent against this — things like using screens, things like using grids, things like limiting the amount that a window can open.”

Winkleman seemed to put the blame of negligence on the Royal Caribbean; “Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kids area? I mean, why would you have that kind of a hidden danger without any warning, without any sign, without any notice? I do think there is going to be blame and significant blame on the cruise line, and I will do everything I can to hold them accountable, for what appears to me to be negligence.”