A 10-year-old boy from Singapore reportedly died after being found “unresponsive” in a cruise ship swimming pool yesterday according to several Asian newspapers.

Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that the child was sailing with his mother on the Genting Dream operated by Dream Cruises.

Bernama stated that a “pool attendant” failed to rescue the boy after he was found unresponsive in the ship’s pool.

Newsweek reported that the boy was taken off of the ship and sent to a hospital in Langkawi, Malaysia, where he died. The cruise ship was cruising from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand. According to Newsweek, the Genting Dream “boasts waterslides and swimming pools.” The cruise line employs “pool attendants” but no lifeguards on the ship. The cruise line states that children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

There have been around a dozen cases of children drowning on cruise ships without life guards in the last several years. The Miami News Times covered this issue – Kids Drown in Cruise Ship Pools With No Lifeguards on Duty.

It takes a combination of attentive parents and well trained lifeguards to keep kids safe on a huge cruise ship with multiple pools and water parks.

Have a comment or question? Please leave one below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Photo credit: Top –  Sapphire Jasper – CC BY-SA 4.0, commons / wikimedia; bottom – Travelling with Bruce.