Toddler cruise ship death: Grandfather did not dangle and drop baby from window, family attorney says

Chloe and her grandfather, Sam Anello, were “in the water park on the ship, which is designed for the kids — kids are meant to be there,” said Winkleman. “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,” said Winkleman. Unknowingly, then, the grandfather places Chloe on the wood railing before the wall of windows, believing Chloe will bang on the glass just like she does at her brother’s hockey games, “and the next thing he knows, she’s gone,” said the attorney.

After speaking with the grandfather, who was “crying hysterically,” Winkleman said he believes that this was a “preventable incident.”

No alcohol was involved, added Winkleman.

“Kids falling out of windows is nothing new,” he said. “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.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises said in a statement Monday that it does not plan to comment further on the incident out of respect for the family’s privacy: “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.”

CNN was reaching out Tuesday to Royal Caribbean and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority for comment on Winkleman’s statements.

An older ship

Winkleman noted that the Freedom of the Seas ship, which made its maiden voyage in 2006, is older, and none of the newer ships have similar windows that can be opened in the same way.

“I think Royal Caribbean needs to answer these questions: Why would you ever in a kid’s play area put windows that passengers can open? I mean, we’ve all had that experience where someone walks into a glass sliding door thinking it’s not there. This is the inverse of that. It was reasonable for Sam the grandfather to think that this was all glass because from his perspective it was all glass.”

Winkleman is hoping to gain access to the ship and to surveillance footage of the incident.

“In my view in incidents like this, the video is always key,” he said.

Meanwhile, the family remains in Puerto Rico, waiting for the authorities to release the body of their daughter and for the police to conclude due diligence on the investigation, he said.

Ultimately, the family does not want this incident to be “just about tragedy,” said their attorney, who described Chloe as “a sweet, loving girl.” Instead, the Wiegands are hoping to make sure something like this never happens to another family.

“I do think that there is going to be blame and significant blame on the cruise line,” said Winkleman. “I will do everything I can to hold them accountable for what appears to me to be negligence.”