Cruise ship heartache: Little Chloe’s next step for justice
The parents of a child who plunged to her death after suffering a 46-metre fall from a cruise ship window are suing for millions as they release the chilling picture of where she died.
The toddler, Chloe Wiegand was in the hands of her grandad near to a window when she slipped.
However, her heart-stricken family insist the blame lies with the “negligent” cruise line, which they are reportedly launching legal action against.
The heartbreaking photograph taken of the tent covering the part of the deck that Alan and Kimberly Schultz’s baby girl died, was taken by a criminal investigator and is now being used in a negligence suit.
They are reportedly accusing Royal Caribbean of breaching safety protocols and standards.
The snap shows the view which Chloe’s grandad Salvatore “Sam” Anello had been balancing Chloe when he slipped and fell while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
It also shows a partial space between the wooden railing that Mr Anello held his granddaughter and a large, glass window that could be completely opened.
Mr Anello is facing up to six years behind bars after he was charged with criminal neglect – however Chloe’s parents are adamant the blame lies in the hands of the cruise ship.
Mr and Mrs Schultz are sticking by their daughter’s grandfather, insisting nothing is worse than “what has already happened”.
The family have reportedly filed a suit against Royal Caribbean to figure out why the 11th storey window was allegedly left open.
It is reported the family will receive “unlimited” damages for “pain and mental suffering” if their claim is successful, as Chloe died on American soil and not in the high seas.
The grieving family’s lawyer say it will be impossible to “put a figure” on their grief however, saying “four simple words – caution these windows open – and we wouldn’t be talking about his.
“A sticker, a decal with the Royal Caribbean logo, anything, and Chloe is still with us.”
The family will claim in court that little Chloe was being “closely supervised” by her granddad at the time of her death.
They will further maintain Mr Anello was “unaware” one of the large panes of glass surrounding the ship’s 11th floor had been slid open when he carried his granddaughter over to the railings.
The case alleges the window was the only one open “among dozens” and there was no clear indication that it had been opened.
The lawsuit also claims there was a 46 cm gap between the wooden railing and the open window, which made it even more difficult for a horrified Mr Anello to reach over and grasp for his toddler as she plunged to her death.
They also allege that Mr Anello being colourblind made hard for him to differentiate between the glass and the open window.
Chloe’s family have insisted the toddler liked to bang on glass, just as she did when at her brother’s hockey games – which is why her grandad had sat her on the wooden railing.
In November, it was reported there is video evidence that supports the grieving family’s claim that Mr Anello was unaware the window was open – a potential bombshell for both the case against her distraught grandad and the family’s Royal Caribbean suit.
Royal Caribbean has refused to comment further but described Chloe’s death as a “tragic incident”.