Trouble on Navigator

[Redheada]

I know the young man; he lives in my community and went to school with my DD from pre-school through high school. He is someone of whom we are proud, a good kid. He is indeed a student at Duke and is headed to med school in the fall. He never gave his parents or anyone else any trouble and is a model for his younger siblings.

 

It is not relevant to anyone on this site whether alcohol or horseplay ws involved. It is unnecessary to speculate on personal responsibility or whether the cruiseline is to blame.

 

He is currently in a hospital in Miami, where he was flown and where his parents met him. He is in a coma, with a closed-head brain injury but no spinal injury. His prognosis is still unclear but hopeful.

 

Please stop speculating, and just pray for him and his family. Then hug your own children and tell them you love them.

 

 

Well said. Thank you so much for the update. I wish him and his family a speedy recovery.

[allysdad]

I hope the young man recovers. This is very sad.

 

I think some CCers owe the OP an apology for being so rude on this thread.

that was me! I never thought of this blog as a personal insult page. And yes, I mistakingly said Freedom of the Seas instead of Navigator.

Thanks for the supporting comment

[allysdad]

I know the young man; he lives in my community and went to school with my DD from pre-school through high school. He is someone of whom we are proud, a good kid. He is indeed a student at Duke and is headed to med school in the fall. He never gave his parents or anyone else any trouble and is a model for his younger siblings.

 

It is not relevant to anyone on this site whether alcohol or horseplay ws involved. It is unnecessary to speculate on personal responsibility or whether the cruiseline is to blame.

 

He is currently in a hospital in Miami, where he was flown and where his parents met him. He is in a coma, with a closed-head brain injury but no spinal injury. His prognosis is still unclear but hopeful.

 

Please stop speculating, and just pray for him and his family. Then hug your own children and tell them you love them.

Thank you, My daughter was on the cruise as well. She sent me the e-mail and hell broke loose on this sight> I had the incorrect ship name originally as that was the itinerary i had on my blackberry.

 

I will pass the information on. They all had a good time up until the accident. We hope he recovers fully.

 

Thank you again

[bluegirlum]

that was me! I never thought of this blog as a personal insult page. And yes, I mistakingly said Freedom of the Seas instead of Navigator.

Thanks for the supporting comment

 

Actually, I think that Breck was the OP of this thread. That's not meant as an insult--just a lot of confusion about these posts.

 

Regardless, we should hope that the young man is in good hands in Miami and gets better.

[allysdad]

I should have never started the thread! Too many headcases acusing myslf who was at home and my daughter who was on board and next to the pool of spreading rumors Unbelievable!!

[PRgymnast]

I know the young man; he lives in my community and went to school with my DD from pre-school through high school. He is someone of whom we are proud, a good kid. He is indeed a student at Duke and is headed to med school in the fall. He never gave his parents or anyone else any trouble and is a model for his younger siblings.

 

It is not relevant to anyone on this site whether alcohol or horseplay ws involved. It is unnecessary to speculate on personal responsibility or whether the cruiseline is to blame.

 

He is currently in a hospital in Miami, where he was flown and where his parents met him. He is in a coma, with a closed-head brain injury but no spinal injury. His prognosis is still unclear but hopeful.

 

Please stop speculating, and just pray for him and his family. Then hug your own children and tell them you love them.

Yes, thank you for the update. This is the best post I've read on here in days especially the part about hugging your own children!

[neurosurg]

Yes, at least here in the U.S. we get a blood alcohol level, and blood toxicology screen on everyone who comes in as the result of accidental / intentional injury or trauma.

 

And hopefully, as a young person -- a closed head injury from a fall of several feet is not the worst scenario, and the fact that the update at least did not mention he had to undergo surgery (for bleeds, for elevated pressure) is a hopeful sign.

 

And everyday - I see sad stories of lives forever changed due to tragic accidents -- and what do 75% of them have in common? Alcohol.

 

I hope things are not this crazy when I get on the Navigator this Thursday...

[PhoenixCruiser]

I should have never started the thread! Too many headcases acusing myslf who was at home and my daughter who was on board and next to the pool of spreading rumors Unbelievable!!

 

I cannot believe you are still being attacked:( Hang in there AllysDad! Hope you enjoy your vacation.

 

###

[PRgymnast]

I hope things are not this crazy when I get on the Navigator this Thursday...

I'm about to board on Thursday too but I kinda hope they are but without a near death accident! I love cruising and I was kinda hoping that the cruise would have a more party atmosphere, hence my actual booking during Spring Break but I do not want that at the expense of someone's health or life!

 

Party responsibly or don't party at all! You are responsible for your own actions!

[hotrod1954]

To many arm chair quarterbacks on here . this is not a police investagation. its a trajedy people get over it.

[grand isle joe]

I should have never started the thread! Too many headcases acusing myslf who was at home and my daughter who was on board and next to the pool of spreading rumors Unbelievable!!

 

Yes Allysdad there are alot of small minded, petty people who live to tear apart anyone who dares to speak ill or make any kind of mistake. The insecurity of some is on display often. It is only through the anonymity of the internet that some have the gall to hurl insults that they would never have the courage to do in person. Thanks for giving the info and most of us will pray for this young man and hope all connected with this tragic incident will come out healthy and healed.

[Citizen Jane]

Hopefully my post count will lend me some credibility here...

 

I was on this cruise on Navigator of the Seas (as many of you knew I would be). The young man is a student at Duke University. He was traveling with a large group of Duke students who were all friends. When the incident occurred, my husband and I (who both went to Duke) were playing Blackjack and closing down the Casino with a group of his friends including his roommate (it was an all Duke table). I am currently waiting for an email update from one of them. The last I knew the injured student was in Miami in a medically induced coma because of pain and is expected to be in the hospital for at least two weeks. He was very lucky not to have suffered more severe injuries.

 

As others have said, between 3:00 and 3:30 Friday morning XXXXX fell/jumped into the pool. This was witnessed by a student of mine (at the University where I teach) who told me he saw the whole thing when I ran into him while disembarking. According to the eyewitness, the crew did indeed not wait for medical personnel (who were obviously marked when they arrived), but began moving the obviously head-injured young man around. This apparently freaked out quite a few of the observers.

 

We were completely unaware of the situation until the Captain's announcement EXCEPT that when I awoke in the morning I noticed that our cabin (Suite 1314) was very warm and when I went out on deck the sun was due East. This seemed wrong to me (knowing what our return course would be) so I checked the channel that shows current course and speed and, sure enough, we showed a deviation toward Cozumel. It was when the Captain made the announcement that we found out someone had been removed from the ship via tender.

 

The young man in question was removed via tender. It was very fairly foggy during the night and early morning hours, so that may have been a factor in whether or not he could be taken off of the ship via helicopter. He was transferred to Cozumel and from there he was transported via a 6 hour helicopter flight to the trauma center in Miami. His friends were on the phone pretty much all night long with their parents helping to arrange everything and then throughout the day getting hourly updates. At one point they were told by guest services that they would not be getting off of the ship unless they paid an additional $3000 to pay for the tender. The Duke student who told me this said that he was unsure whether or not the ship had backed down on that one, but that they had to arrange for the parents to wire money to the ship (he thought the ship might have backed down even though the money was ready, but was unsure because he did not speak to the young man's parents directly--they were just told that they would be able to disembark).

 

All of the accounts I have heard about how he got from the pool deck onto the net have varied (two of my students saw it and I heard other students on the ship talking about what they saw). Some say he jumped from the side, some say he fell, some say he jumped from another level. As with many eyewitness reports involving heavy drinking, there is a lot of unreliability. I will say that his friends were REALLY surprised because, as was said by the parent of this young man's friend elsewhere in the thread, this was not typical behavior for him (risk-taking) even when he did have too much to drink (which they had witnessed before). There is, however, no doubt that he was inebriated.

 

We did, of course, travel on a different course at maximum speed getting back into Miami about one hour later than expected.

 

As for whether or not his family was on board the ship, they were not. This is probably confusion due to the fact that the Captain announced that "our thoughts go out to him and his family at this time."

[Citizen Jane]

Yes, at least here in the U.S. we get a blood alcohol level, and blood toxicology screen on everyone who comes in as the result of accidental / intentional injury or trauma.

 

And hopefully, as a young person -- a closed head injury from a fall of several feet is not the worst scenario, and the fact that the update at least did not mention he had to undergo surgery (for bleeds, for elevated pressure) is a hopeful sign.

 

My husband was sure they would need to drain for pressure relief (he's a neurologist) and we were really relieved to find out that he had NOT needed to undergo surgery as of late Friday night. According to his friends he was stable. (We were actually shocked that he didn't need to "get drilled" as DH put it).

[miasmama]

i have to agree with you...i have not found a news report regarding this on any site (except here). Four of the "posters" who vehemently defended this happening all joined cruise critic on march 13th. Could be a coincidence. I have to admit i am still not convinced.

 

If it did happen i certainly feel bad for the young man and his family.

 

yes, it did happen! Isn't this all adults on this site? Why would anyone make up that!! Everyone needs to get a grip and say a prayer for this young adult and his family. If not, stop asking questions and stop replying. Yes it happened, yes it's horrible (too horrible for gross details). If anyone one knows the students progress post that, not the nonsense that has been going on.

Have a wonderful day.

[bluegirlum]

Hopefully my post count will lend me some credibility here...

 

 

Thank you so much for your report of what happened. No one owes any of us who weren't there any explanation or report or update, as it's really none of our business, but it was nice of you to take time out and let us know what really happened. That must have been very scary for everyone on the ship, his friends, and his family at home. Let's just hope that he gets better soon.

[miasmama]

Thanks for the update on the duke student, i have been thinking and praying for him and his family since we were on board. As a parent you dread that

4 am horrifying phone call. Please keep us updated on him.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

I should have never started the thread! Too many headcases acusing myslf who was at home and my daughter who was on board and next to the pool of spreading rumors Unbelievable!!

 

 

3 times I tired to post something positive back to you...each time I ended up deleting it because the words didn't seem right and didn't want to become one of the ones who thought your post was either not true or spreading false information.

 

I never doubted your post...hang in there!! :)

 

***

[Bobal]

Thank goodness we've heard from a couple of people who know some facts about what has happened to the student since he was taken from the ship. Please keep us informed about the outcome. In addition to all the people who have kept this thread going (many of whom should be ashamed of themselves for some of the things they've said) there are many more people like myself who have not posted but have been following the thread in the hope of hearing some news about his recovery.

 

And to those who STILL keep posting with negative comments about drinking/responsibility/how well they've brought up their children/how the ship is to blame, please let's spare a thought for the family and stop speculating on what may or may not happen with regards to suing Royal Caribbean or pointing the finger of blame.

 

Please let us know how he is, there are many many people who have young, well-brought up sons with high academic achievements but are thinking there but for the grace of God....

[mchin]

I know the young man; he lives in my community and went to school with my DD from pre-school through high school. He is someone of whom we are proud, a good kid. He is indeed a student at Duke and is headed to med school in the fall. He never gave his parents or anyone else any trouble and is a model for his younger siblings.

 

It is not relevant to anyone on this site whether alcohol or horseplay ws involved. It is unnecessary to speculate on personal responsibility or whether the cruiseline is to blame.

 

He is currently in a hospital in Miami, where he was flown and where his parents met him. He is in a coma, with a closed-head brain injury but no spinal injury. His prognosis is still unclear but hopeful.

 

Please stop speculating, and just pray for him and his family. Then hug your own children and tell them you love them.

 

Thank you for your post and reminding all of us what is really important in life. I've read all the comments and this is the first I've felt compelled to reply to. Please let the family know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

[BND]

yes, it did happen! Isn't this all adults on this site? Why would anyone make up that!! Everyone needs to get a grip and say a prayer for this young adult and his family. If not, stop asking questions and stop replying. Yes it happened, yes it's horrible (too horrible for gross details). If anyone one knows the students progress post that, not the nonsense that has been going on.

Have a wonderful day.

 

No, it's not all adults on this site. There are several teenage posters. Anyone can be a member. I know people get offended when people question what they post, but the fact is, there are lots of false information and the reality is, the information originally put out was wrong on a couple of points. I think both sides need to dial it down a notch. Yes, since it's been confirmed it actually happened and we have more info, it's a horrible thing, but everyone needs to remember that questioning a post isn't unreasonable. No one is perfect and those than are attacking people for their original reactions are no better than anyone else.

[thedocads]

I am a relative of the boy, I beg you to destroy that picture. No good can come from sharing it.

 

I know nothing about what happened on the Freedom, but I am still on Navigator and you can bet it happened. I don't know how to post a picture, but I have one taken with my iPhone

[thedocads]

Better put than I could do after reading these disturbing comments.

 

Thank you for your post and reminding all of us what is really important in life. I've read all the comments and this is the first I've felt compelled to reply to. Please let the family know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

[Cruzin-K]

Hopefully my post count will lend me some credibility here...

 

 

Thank you Jane for the update. Please keep us posted if you hear more news. Whether or not he was drinking, it is still a tragedy and I'm sure his family is sick with worry at their son/brother/cousin being in a coma. Hopefully he will make a full and speedy recovery.

[BGCruiser85]

I was also on this cruise over the weekend. We just got back late today after a side trip. I did NOT see the event happen so I can't comment on what or how it did happen from my own perpective. I was there when the party began that night and there were multiple announcements about staying out of the pools during any deck party for your own safety.

 

The next morning, my wife was speaking to another guest at her jewelry beading class who was standing very close to this person at the time of the incident. From this guest's account, the individual jumped of his own free will from the second level (albeit alcohol induced). There was obviously a lot of alcohol being downed. That was pretty much the norm for the entire cruise from what I saw of many of the college set.

 

Some folks were asking why the pool was drained. In speaking to one of the crew, my wife was told that earlier in the evening, another partier that had too much to drink fell in to the already netted (full) pool and nearly drowned. At that point they drained the pool for the rest of the evening.

 

This was a horrible event that occurred and my prayers go out to him and his family.

[BGCruiser85]

 

The next morning, my wife was speaking to another guest at her jewelry beading class who was standing very close to this person at the time of the incident. From this guest's account, the individual jumped of his own free will from the second level (albeit alcohol induced). There was obviously a lot of alcohol being downed. That was pretty much the norm for the entire cruise from what I saw of many of the college set.

 

Sorry. My bad. My wife just corrected me and said that he jumped from poolside...not second level.