A YOUNG GIRL has died after reportedly slipping out of her grandfather's arms and plunging around 150ft from a cruise ship in Puerto Rico.
The 18-month-old toddler fell from the 11th deck of the Freedom of the Seas liner as it was docked at the Pan American Pier II in San Juan at around 4.30pm local time (9.30pm GMT) on Sunday.
The child landed on the concrete port below and was taken to a local hospital, but was tragically pronounced dead a short time later.
According to local outlet Primera Hora, the girl was from Indiana in the United States and was vacationing with her parents, younger brother and paternal grandparents at the time.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the incident may have occurred as the toddler's grandfather held her out of an 11th deck window and lost his grip.
Inimaginable tragedia en muelle de San Juan https://t.co/BlTFYfWS7U pic.twitter.com/Ek4EspBOX9
— Primera Hora (@primerahora) 8 July 2019
Investigators are interviewing passengers who witnessed the fall and the girl's relatives to ascertain exactly what happened.
Freedom of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean, is the 15th largest passenger ship in the world and accommodates around 5,000 passengers and crew.
The liner was docked in San Juan after ending its week-long Southern Caribbean cruise and has since departed on another 7-day voyage following the incident.
In a statement, Royal Caribbean said: "We are assisting local authorities in San Juan, PR as they make inquiries after an incident aboard Freedom of the Seas.
"We do not have further information to share at this point."
Royal Caribbean International has been contacted for comment.
