Cruise Ship Passenger, 10, Found Dead in Swimming Pool

A 10-year-old Singaporean boy has died after being found "unresponsive" in an Asian cruise ship swimming pool on Monday, officials have confirmed.

The body was found as the vessel was docked at Star Cruise Jetty in Langkawi, Malaysia, during a three-day trip traveling from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand. The incident occurred on board the Genting Dream cruise liner, which is operated by Dream Cruises.

The victim had been on a vacation with his mother and a friend, Langkawi district police chief Superintendent Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim told news agency Bernama.

"[The] Padang Matsirat police station received an emergency call at about 7:30 p.m. regarding a drowning incident involving a child in the swimming pool of the cruise ship," the police chief said.

"Initial investigation found the victim was believed to have drowned while bathing in the pool. A pool attendant and many other visitors were bathing in the pool but failed to rescue the victim. Police have statements of witnesses and pool attendant to facilitate investigation."

Bernama, which is a Malaysian state news outlet, reported the child's body was transported to Sultanah Maliha Langkawi hospital. The cruise ship continued to Thailand at 10.30 p.m. The police chief said the vessel had been hosting approximately 3,000 passengers.

Crew members were able to identify the child's name and nationality using his passport details, The Straits Times reported. The personal details were confirmed by Channel News Asia. Cruise ship representatives said the boy had passed away despite attempts to apply first aid.

"Dream Cruises confirms a boy was found unresponsive in one of the swimming pools aboard Genting Dream on 18 November. The ship departed from Singapore on 17 November 2019 for a 3-night cruise," a spokesperson for parent company Genting Cruise Lines told Newsweek.

The statement added: "The on-board responding medical team immediately provided medical and resuscitation assistance including administering CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and despite all efforts, Dream Cruises is saddened to confirm the boy had passed away.

"Dream Cruises is cooperating with the authorities on the reported incident and providing all the necessary assistance to the family members in this time of difficulty. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and we offer our sincerest condolences."

According to its website, the Genting Dream offers its customers "authentic Asian hospitality" on the ship, which stands at 18 decks tall and boasts waterslides and swimming pools. It says the pools are up to 6.5 feet deep and all children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no lifeguards onboard, instead there are "highly qualified pool attendants."