A two-year-old child has suffered a serious fall on a TUI Cruises ship in Madeira, with Portuguese media reporting a drop of between 10 and 13 feet. The toddler, described locally as a foreign national, was stabilised at the scene before being rushed to hospital.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning while the cruise liner, the Mein Schiff 7, was docked in the Madeiran capital of Funchal. The ship, one of the newest in the TUI fleet, can accommodate nearly 3,000 passengers and is currently on a seven-day round trip that began in Gran Canaria on April 20.
TUI confirmed the child is in hospital for routine observation and is in good condition. An internal investigation into the circumstances has been launched. Red Cross officials and a rapid intervention medical team were mobilised after the alarm was raised.
The company managing Madeira’s ports, APRAM, confirmed the incident but did not release details on the child’s age or nationality. In a statement, APRAM said: 'The incident occurred within the ship’s jurisdiction area. The Regional Integrated Medical Emergency System was activated, with support and assessment carried out on site by the Rapid Intervention Medical Team (EMIR), and the child was transported to Dr Nelio Mendonça Hospital’s A&E department.'
The Mein Schiff 7 arrived from Las Palmas and will depart on Thursday at 2pm towards La Palma. This is its final call of the season in Madeira, with a return scheduled for November.
