By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com

Youngster was ‘swept under’ on the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas
Vessel was an hour into its journey from Florida when incident took place
A passenger on the deck alerted another swimmer when she saw the child
They grabbed the boy and pulled him out so medics could perform CPR
The boy was then taken to Port Everglades so he could receive treatment
Is said to be in a critical condition in Broward Medical Center

A four-year-old boy is in a critical condition after nearly drowning in a cruise ship wave pool.

The youngster was ‘swept under’ while swimming in the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas off the coast of Florida and is believed to have been submerged for between five and 10 minutes.

He was initially treated by the ship’s on-board medical staff before the boat altered course and transported him to the Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Launderdale in Florida.

The vessel was an hour into its journey the incident took place. A passenger on the deck alerted another swimmer when they noticed the child was under the water.

They then grabbed the boy from underneath and dragged him out of the pool unconscious before medics began CPR.

Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, confirmed to the Sun-Sentinal that the boy from Italy ‘was rescued from one of the ship’s swimming pools.’

Mike Jachles, spokesman for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, said that firefighters were told the ship was returning.

He added: ‘Obviously, one can only imagine that somebody sets sail on a vacation an hour in, to turn around to something like this. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and with the child.

‘We hope the child will recover.’

The boy, who has yet to be named, was travelling with his two parents and siblings and is not believed to be from the South Florida area.

It is not known where they were at the time or whether lifeguards are normally stationed at pool side.

Martinez said the cruise liner’s care team were providing support for the family and their ‘thoughts and prayers were with them’.

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2896397/Boy-4-critical-condition-nearly-drowning-cruise-ship-wave-pool.html#ixzz3NuOGWPoI

Related story:

Four-year-old nearly drowns on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas cruise ship

From NBC

A four-year-old boy has been hospitalized in intensive care after nearly drowning in a cruise-ship wave pool, officials said Sunday. Mike Jachles, a spokesman for Broward County, Florida, Fire and Rescue, told NBC News that firefighters and paramedics responded to a medical emergency call Saturday from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas after a passenger on the ship’s upper deck saw a 4-year-old boy submerged in the wave pool. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit ruled the near-fatal incident an accident, saying an investigation showed he wandered away from his mother. The boy was under water for nearly six minutes before he was rescued, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

A bystander in the pool pulled the unconscious boy from the water, and people outside the pool began CPR, the statement said. The boy was revived and treated by the ship’s medical team, which decided the patient needed more care, the sheriff’s office added. Jachles said the patient was brought from the Port Everglades cruise and cargo seaport in Fort Lauderdale, to Broward Health Medical Center where he is currently in intensive care. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives conducted an investigation on board the ship before it was allowed to set sail again, he added. Royal Caribbean said in a statement that they are providing support to the boy’s family. The cruise is scheduled to last seven days.

For more on this story go to: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/four-year-old-nearly-drowns-royal-caribbeans-oasis-seas-cruise-n279181