16-Year-Old Cruise Passenger Fell to His Death From Cabin Balcony
A teenager died Friday morning when he fell from the cabin balcony of a cruise ship. The ship, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, was docked in Labadee, Haiti, at the time.
Authorities believe Laurent Mercer, 16, had misplaced his room key on Jan. 11, the day of the accident. Instead of looking for a replacement key, Mercer attempted to access his room through the balcony from an adjacent balcony. In the process, he lost his footing and fell onto the pier, according to the Broward Medical Examiner's Office in Port Everglades, Florida.
The medical examiner's office issued a statement, saying, "The ship's medical team responded to the pier and attempted CPR, but the [boy] had sustained major head trauma and he was pronounced dead" at 11:42am. Haiti local authorities also reportedly responded to the scene and determined that no crime had occurred, but did not issue a death certificate. Mercer's body was instead transported back onto the ship, and turned over to the medical examiner's office Sunday, Jan. 13.
A number of passengers turned to Twitter and Facebook to report the accident, with at least two eyewitnesses reporting that they saw him fall. Fellow passenger Jaclyn Syroney said in a Facebook comment, "I was on the cruise and saw him hit the concrete dock. It was around 11:30 a.m. The workers were amazingly fast acting and tried to keep him alive, but I'm pretty sure he was dead on impact. There were also fast acting of removing his body and covering up the area so people wouldn't see it. Royal Caribbean handled this situation with utmost respect for the passenger and the family."
Mercer, who comes from the French island Wallis and Futuna in the South Pacific, was vacationing with his family on a Western Caribbean tour. Labadee, where Royal Caribbean owns a private resort, was the first stop on the seven-day route.
"We are saddened by the loss of one of our guests in a tragic accident," Owen Torres, manager of corporate communications for Royal Caribbean, told TPG in an emailed statement.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.