A 12-year-old passenger fell to his death on the final night of a cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas.
The 226,963 gross registered ton (GRT) ship was en route to Galveston, Texas, after a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise when the pre-teen fell from an interior-facing Central Park balcony cabin.
Central Park, located on Deck 8, is one of seven neighborhoods onboard the Oasis Class ship and is home to bars, restaurants, and shops.
Witnesses claim the boy had been playing with friends he had met onboard before going over the stateroom's balcony railing. Supposedly, he was on the cruise with his family to celebrate a birthday.
Royal Caribbean crew tried to resuscitate the passenger; however, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful, and he died before Harmony of the Seas arrived in Galveston on September 8.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests. Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told PEOPLE.
Outpouring of support
"My daughter was friends with him and said he was upset today," wrote Sara Tullas in a Harmony of the Seas Facebook group.
"If anyone knows the family, please send them thoughts and prayers...I wish I would have known he was struggling today," she continues.
Shannon Elizabeth shared similar thoughts, explaining her son had befriended the boy.
"I haven't been able to really wrap my head around this and the conversations I have had to have with my son really tripped me up," she says.
"My son made friends with this boy and he saw too much of what happened. Just breaks my heart and the fact we were [on] this boat is just wild."
Because of the incident, boarding for the Sept. 8 voyage was delayed
"Due to an emergency on our previous sailing, our boarding tomorrow will be delayed," read a statement emailed to passengers, "As a result, the terminal will be closed until 12 PM."
Guests were asked to arrive one hour after their pre-selected arrival time but no later than 3:00pm, as all passengers were required to be checked in and onboard by 3:30pm.
Harmony of the Seas is currently on a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise calling at Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship is scheduled to return to Galveston on September 14.
Read more: 30 cruise ship embarkation day do’s and don’ts
Other similar incidents
A 16-year-old boy slipped and fell to his death while trying to enter his cabin through a nearby balcony while docked in Labadee, Haiti.
The Broward Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Laurent Mercer of the Wallis and Futuna Islands in the South Pacific.
"The ship's medical team responded to the pier and attempted CPR, but the [boy] had sustained major head trauma and he was pronounced dead," the Broward Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement.
Last November, another 16-year-old boy died after falling from his cabin balcony into Central Park while sailing on Allure of the Seas. TMZ reported the passenger was transported to a hospital for treatment but eventually succumbed to his injuries.
The Oasis Class ship was traveling from Port Canaveral to Nassau, Bahamas when a ship-wide announcement was made asking for blood donors.
"We are saddened to learn of the passing of a guest, and our hearts go out to the family. Out of respect for them, we won't provide any further comment," read a statement issued by Royal Caribbean.
