The horror incident has reportedly happened on a TUI cruise ship docked in Funchal, the capital of Madeira, with the toddler described as a ‘foreign national’
A two-year-old child is said to be “fighting for its life” after reportedly plunging from a TUI Cruises ship in Madeira.
The tot, who has been described locally as a “foreign national” on board with its parents, was stabilised at the scene before being rushed to hospital.
The incident happened this morning when the cruise liner was docked in the Madeiran capital of Funchal. Portuguese press said the child had suffered a fall of between 10 and 13 feet and that the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
The ship has been named as the Mein Schiff 7, which is one of the newest ships in the TUI fleet and can accommodate nearly 3,000 passengers.
It is currently on a seven-day round trip which began in Gran Canaria on April 20 and is due to finish on the same island next Monday.
Sources at Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Funchal have told local press the toddler’s injuries are “very serious” and its life hangs in the balance.
An internal investigation into what happened is understood to have been launched.
Red Cross officials and a ‘rapid intervention’ medical team were mobilised after the alarm was first raised.
Shortly before its arrival Funchal Port officials said in a post on social media: “The Port of Funchal is welcoming two cruise ships this Wednesday, bringing close to 4,000 passengers and 2,00 crew members.
“Mein Schiff 7, operated by TUI Cruises and handled by JFM Shipping, was the first to arrive for a 38-hour call with an overnight stay, carrying 2,936 passengers and 1,037 crew members.
“The vessel arrived from Las Palmas and will depart on Thursday at 2pm towards La Palma, as part of a one-week Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI) itinerary. This is its final call of the season in Madeira, with a return scheduled for November.”
The company managing Madeira’s ports confirmed a child had been transported to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Funchal after an incident on board the cruise ship while it was docked at the city’s port.
It did not release any information on the child’s age or nationality or go into any detail about what had happened.
The company said in a statement: “The Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira [APRAM] became aware of an incident on board the ship Mein Schiff 7 involving a child. The incident occurred within the ship’s jurisdiction area.
“The Regional Integrated Medical Emergency System was activated, with support and assessment carried out on site by the Rapid Intervention Medical Team (EMIR), and the child was transported to Dr Nelio Mendonça Hospital’s A&E department.”
