Chloe Wiegand is the toddler who was dropped by her grandfather, Salvatore Anello, on board a Royal Caribbean ship to her death, authorities in Puerto Rico said.
According to officials in the U.S. territory, Chloe Wiegand was 18 months old at the time of her death. She had been on a family vacation with her parents, two siblings, and two sets of grandparents. The tragedy occurred on board the Freedom of the Seas ship at the Panamerican dock on July 7. The family hails from Indiana. They had boarded the ship in Puerto Rico. It had been due to depart at 8:30 p.m. local time on the day of the tragedy. Wiegand fell to her death at around 5 p.m.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Family Will Remain in Puerto Rico Until the Investigation Is Complete
Facebook/Salvatore AnelloChloe Wiegand’s grandfather Salvatore Anello pictured on his Facebook page,
Puerto Rican Police Sgt. Nelson Sotelo told the Associated Press that the extended Wiegand and Anello families will remain on the island until the investigation is complete. Sgt. Sotelo described the family as being “in shock.” The AP reports that Salvatore Anello is under investigation. He is from Valparaiso, Indiana, while the rest of the family is from Granger, Indiana.
Elmer Roman of the Puerto Rican Department of Public Security told Primera Hora in Puerto Rico that the scene was “very grave” and “very regrettable and tragic.” While Anthony Maceira, Puerto Rico’s Secretary for Public Affairs, wrote in a tweet via Twitter Translate, “Unfortunately, the news of a baby’s accident on a cruise ship is true. @DSPnoticias He’s working on the issue with the seriousness and sensitivity it requires. We pray the Lord to fill with strength this family who are living a true tragedy today.”
2. Chloe Wiegand Fell From the 11th Story of the Ship
GettyFreedom of the Seas pictured in May 2006.
Port Authority spokesman Jose Carmona told CNN that the girl was in the dining hall playing with her grandfather on deck 11 of the ship when the tragedy occurred. Carmona said one window pane to the hall was open and Wiegand’s grandfather sat the girl in the window. He lost his balance which caused Wiegand to fall. Carmona said, “Sadly, she died on impact.”
When speaking to Primera Hora, Elmer Roman said that Wiegand hit an awning after she fell before landing on the pavement.
3. The South Bend Police Chief Has Asked the Community to ‘Pray for the Wiegand Family’
Speaking to WSBT,
the CBS affiliate in South Bend, the South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski confirmed that Wiegand’s father is Officer Alan Wiegand. Chief Ruszkowski “asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy.” The chief also disputed the story that Wiegand was held out of a window. In addition to being a police officer, Alan Wiegand is also an assistant coach with the Irish Youth Hockey League, according to his LinkedIn page.
Wiegand’s mother is Kimberly Schultz Wiegand. A witness to the tragedy told Telemundo that Kimberly’s crying did “not compare to any other scream.”
Statement from SBPD regarding the tragic news coming out of Puerto Rico involving the family of one of our officers. #southbend
According to his Facebook page, Salvatore Anello works in IT for St. Joseph County. Speaking to WSBT, Anello’s supervisor said, “Well Sal works in the IT department, he’s a very valuable employee. Wonderful, just, would do anything for you. And we’re just mourning with him.”
4. Wiegand’s Death Comes 3 Days After a Crew Member Fell From the Carnival Victory Cruise Ship
Falls from cruise ships are not unusual. On July 4, a crew member on board the Carnival Victory ship fell overboard 30 miles northwest of Cuba. A search from the U.S. Coast Guard lasted 45 hours but crews were unable to locate the 37-year-old man. Local 10 reports that the search for the missing man spanned 2,600 nautical miles. A spokesman for the Coast Guard, Michael Mullen, told the station, “We’ve been in contact with the crewmember’s family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult time for them. Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly.”
The Miami Herald identified the missing man as Gaffar Satwilkar. WSVN reports that Satwilkar is the father of three children. His brother told WSVN that his family are not giving up hope of finding the missing man.
5. The Royal Caribbean Ship Left San Juan on July 8
Royal Caribbean has said that Wiegand’s death was a “tragic incident” and that the company was helping the family. In a statement, the company said, “We’ve made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need. Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident.” The ship left Puerto Rico on July 8 and was headed to St. Maarten on a new itinerary, according to SeaScanner. The ship carries more than 4,500 passengers and crew. The ship will return to Puerto Rico on July 14.
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