Young Boy Dies After Falling Over Balcony On Cruise Back To Texas

A 12-year-old boy has died and a family is mourning after he fell to his death from a balcony while on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship that was heading back to Galveston, Texas.

According to multiple reports, including the UK Independent, the 12-year-old died on September 7 while on board the Royal Caribbean Ship, Harmony of the Seas which ports out of Galveston. Reports claim that he fell from a balcony on Deck 8 to an area of the ship known as "Central Park". This is a part of the ship where many restaurants and stores are located.

The young boy did not fall overboard into the ocean. According to the Independent, Royal Caribbean has not released the boys name or the reason behind the fall from the balcony.

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Deaths by going overboard or falling from a balcony on cruise ships are extremely rare. According to the Washington Post, around 386 people were reported to go overboard between the years 2000 and 2020. And given that many cruise ships carry 3,000-5,000 passengers, thats a very low number over 20 years.

Sadly, many of the overboard deaths can be linked back to either suicide, intoxication, accidents or just making really bad decisions.

As someone who has traveled on many cruises, I would say that it is very hard to fall overboard unless you are doing something that you absolutely shouldn't be doing. Sadly, many deaths can be attributed back to just accidents and poor decisions whether it's on a ship or on land.