Florida

8-Year-Old Boy in Cruise Ship Pool Accident Dies

What to Know

  • The boy had an "accident" in one of the cruise ship's pools June 30, the company said
  • He died two days after being found unresponsive in the pool
  • The medical examiner said drowning caused the boy's death and a seizure disorder was a contributing factor

The 8-year-old Maryland boy who had been hospitalized after nearly drowning on a Caribbean-bound cruise ship after it left New Jersey last month has died, officials said Monday. 

Royal Caribbean confirmed Prince Adepoju died on July 2, two days after he had what the company described as an accident in one of the boat's pools. 

"We are heartbroken to learn the news," the cruise ship company said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this terribly sad time." 

The little boy's family could not immediately be reached for comment on his death. The medical examiner ruled drowning as the cause of death, and said a seizure disorder was a contributing factor. His death was ruled an accident. 

Adepoju left from Bayonne June 30 on the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship around 4:30 p.m. The ship returned five hours later after the boy was found unresponsive in the water; Coast Guard officials had said the boy was likely in the pool for eight to 10 minutes before he was pulled out. 

The child had been in the intensive care unit at Staten Island University Hospital since the accident, according to The Staten Island Advance.

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