This is just so sad,,and makes me ask WHY would someone do this?? I don't call it 'playing'??

[mnrose]

I find myself wondering if Grandpa had had an adult beverage or two. Wouldn't be unusual on a cruise ship. That *may* explain his extremely poor judgment in doing what he did. Alcohol can definitely impair your judgment and may also explain why his grip on her was so poor. Whatever, I guess it really doesn't matter. Just looking to explain the "unexplainable" as it appears from the actual video. I cannot for the life of me fathom why the family thinks this video HELPS them. For one thing, it clearly shows that it is NOT a children's play area. Notice the people sitting at the bar immediately to the left of that window. Does that seem like a kid's play area to you?

 

[Imzadi]

He needs to take the plea deal while it is still an option. With the release of this video, you can see that he is clearly at fault.

Maybe the prosecutors will leave the deal for a while? Maybe, they understand the family may have to blame RC for a while, at least to get through the holidays?

Then after, hopefully the grandfather will take the deal, when they've grieved enough. The family may even tell him he should, meanwhile saying they still believe RC is at fault. That way the can move forward, saying that RC is at fault, rather than destroy what's left of their relationships with each other, by facing the bitter, hard truth, it's no one else's fault. Yet, at the same time, say they want to do what's best for the grandfather. And if it torpedoes their civil case, again, the grandfather took the deal so he doesn't possibly go to prison, or that the stress of it all is causing health problems, etc.

 

[fly girl]

I find myself wondering if Grandpa had had an adult beverage or two. Wouldn't be unusual on a cruise ship. That *may* explain his extremely poor judgment in doing what he did. Alcohol can definitely impair your judgment and may also explain why his grip on her was so poor. Whatever, I guess it really doesn't matter. Just looking to explain the "unexplainable" as it appears from the actual video. I cannot for the life of me fathom why the family thinks this video HELPS them. For one thing, it clearly shows that it is NOT a children's play area. Notice the people sitting at the bar immediately to the left of that window. Does that seem like a kid's play area to you?

They have said from the beginning alcohol wasn't a factor. Grandpa didn't drink.

And you are correct, definitely not a childs play area. That still irritates me every time I hear it. It is the pool deck, point blank, period. stop.

 

[cvjw]

It makes me question why they would file a lawsuit against royal Caribbean in the first place. You know that they or their lawyers watched this video early on AND decided to go ahead with the lawsuit. I bet the prosecutors and/or royal Caribbean didn’t want to release it, but ultimately had to - just to prove that the grandfather was totally to blame and that he should take the plea deal.

 

[sam_gordon]

I must be blind, but I can't find the video. I'll take the words of you who have watched it.

It makes me question why they would file a lawsuit against royal Caribbean in the first place. You know that they or their lawyers watched this video early on AND decided to go ahead with the lawsuit. I bet the prosecutors and/or royal Caribbean didn’t want to release it, but ultimately had to - just to prove that the grandfather was totally to blame and that he should take the plea deal.

IIRC, the lawyers (for the civil suit) did NOT watch the video before filing suit. RCI wouldn't release it to him. I'm not surprised the family didn't watch it. My guess is the GF's brain has blocked out the memory of those moments. So he probably doesn't remember putting his head out the window. In his mind, he was holding her on the railing and she slipped.

When I was a teenager and a relatively new driver, I was in (caused) a pretty serious car accident. I ended up in the hospital with a broken pelvis for a week. I'm TOLD I ran a stop sign and got T-boned. To this day, I remember driving by my dad's office (the accident happened about 2 blocks away), and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don't even remember approaching the intersection.

 

[Imzadi]

It makes me question why they would file a lawsuit against royal Caribbean in the first place. You know that they or their lawyers watched this video early on AND decided to go ahead with the lawsuit. I bet the prosecutors and/or royal Caribbean didn’t want to release it, but ultimately had to - just to prove that the grandfather was totally to blame.

I just caught the tail end of a blurb on the released video on Inside Edition. The grandfather's lawyer is asking why was this video even released to the public? (They didn't think it would be made publicly available.) Someone interviewed the mother and asked why she hasn't watched it to know what really happened. She, of course, has said she's already been to traumatized to watch it.

Someone said previously that the grandfather's lawyer hadn't had a chance to watch the video previously. So, then the family and the lawyer were totally going off of what the grandfather told them what happened. Which we now know is not accurate AT ALL.

She was never perched on the railing. In fact, the OP was correct when it was reported that witnesses saw him hold her out the window.

So, all of this was a lie, because he couldn't face the parents and tell them that he held her out the window and DROPPED her??? Argh!!!

 

[Imzadi]

I must be blind, but I can't find the video. I'll take the words of you who have watched it.

Pea-n-Me posted a link directly to it a page back.

Edited to add:

Just to add it is post #1272.

 

[Jennasis]

Sweet baby Jesus in the manger...this is so beyond heart breaking. He has to take the plea deal.

 

[fly girl]

I must be blind, but I can't find the video. I'll take the words of you who have watched it.

IIRC, the lawyers (for the civil suit) did NOT watch the video before filing suit. RCI wouldn't release it to him. I'm not surprised the family didn't watch it. My guess is the GF's brain has blocked out the memory of those moments. So he probably doesn't remember putting his head out the window. In his mind, he was holding her on the railing and she slipped.

When I was a teenager and a relatively new driver, I was in (caused) a pretty serious car accident. I ended up in the hospital with a broken pelvis for a week. I'm TOLD I ran a stop sign and got T-boned. To this day, I remember driving by my dad's office (the accident happened about 2 blocks away), and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don't even remember approaching the intersection.

If you want to see it, go to Pea-n-Me's post and scroll down. After the picture of her at the H20 zone, you'll see a twitter post right below it and that has the video (you'll see the play button in the center of the pic). Be prepared, like QueenIsabella said it is not gory, it is just gut wrenching because you know what is going to happen.

I am with you, I believe he truly blocked it out of his mind. The brain is blocking it out because it is too traumatic. I don't think he really knows what he did, his mind has blocked it for self preservation. If he saw the video I am sure it would put him on suicide watch.

 

[gwynne]

Pea-n-Me posted a link directly to it a page back.

Just to add it is post #1272.

 

[sam_gordon]

Found it. The lawyer and family HAD to have just gone by what he said AND his mind blocked out what happened. There is no way anyone in their right mind after seeing the video could think he didn't know the window was open.

I think he sat/stood her on the railing or window sill for a better view and she slipped. It looked like about 45 seconds between him picking her up and reacting to the fall. That's a REALLY long time.

 

[Imzadi]

I think he sat/stood her on the railing or window sill for a better view and she slipped.

Fly girl & QueenIsabella said they saw him hold her out the window. (I'm not saying any of you are right or wrong. They said, it's a grainy video.) But, this is what the jury, if it goes to trial, will be arguing amongst themselves. Did he hold her out the window or did she fall forward from the railing?

Did YOU see him stick his head out at any point it time before picking her up to the window?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

As someone mentioned upthread, one of the articles described the railing as being 18” from the window. That’s much farther than it appears in pictures, but I don’t know if the pictures are deceptive. Would anyone who’s been on the ship care to weigh in on how far the rail is from the window? I’m trying to get an idea of how far he’s actually standing from the window in the video. If there’s an 18” space, he could be leaning forward without being outside the window. If it’s only a 6” gap, then he, and she, must be leaning through the window. It’s simply unfathomable. The video is so blurry it’s hard to know for sure what I’m looking at.

 

[sam_gordon]

Fly girl & QueenIsabella said they saw him hold her out the window. (I'm not saying any of you are right or wrong. They said, it's a grainy video.) But, this is what the jury, if it goes to trial will be arguing. Did he hold her out the window or did she fall forward from the railing?

Did YOU see him stick his head out at any point it time before picking her up to the window?

Yes, what I saw...
* Chloe toddles toward the window.
* GF follows.
* GF gets to the window and leans his upper body out (presumably Chloe is at the lower glass, "pounding").
* GF bends down, picks up Chloe and holds her over the railing. She disappears from view, so I couldn't say whether he was holding her outside the window sill, standing her on the window sill/railing, or setting her on the window sill/railing.

About 40-45 seconds goes by and the GF "reacts" (sort of jerks forward and leans way forward over the railing).

 

[sam_gordon]

As someone mentioned upthread, one of the articles described the railing as being 18” from the window. That’s much farther than it appears in pictures, but I don’t know if the pictures are deceptive. Would anyone who’s been on the ship care to weigh in on how far the rail is from the window? I’m trying to get an idea of how far he’s actually standing from the window in the video. If there’s an 18” space, he could be leaning forward without being outside the window. If it’s only a 6” gap, then he, and she, must be leaning through the window. It’s simply unfathomable. The video is so blurry it’s hard to know for sure what I’m looking at.

Watch this video... (it's the deck tour video I've posted up thread). Jump to the 1:15 mark and you can see what it's like walking up to the windows.

 

[ronandannette]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ropping-toddler-death-cruise-ship-window.html

That video shows his upper torso entirely outside the window prior to him bending down and picking Chloe up and holding her entirely outside the window. I honestly have no words.

 

[gwynne]

That video shows his upper torso entirely outside the window prior to him bending down and picking Chloe up and holding her entirely outside the window. I honestly have no words.

That video is beyond hearbreaking. It is exactly as you describe.

 

[ronandannette]

That video is beyond hearbreaking. It is exactly as you describe.

I stopped watching the split-second I realized he held her out past the railing.

 

[fly girl]

I know it is at a distance and the video is grainy. But there is no doubt in my mind he knew the window was open, and he put Chloe over the railing.

In the beginning footage his entire torso is out of view. Even with the railing at a distance him disappearing that much unless it is a freaky camera angle proves he stuck his head out. And even if that angle was deceptive, he protruded out of the image so far he would've hit his head on the glass if the window was closed. I honestly think he held her over the railing. He did what Michael Jackson did but this time with a tragic consequence.

He mentally blocked the reality of the situation.

 

[cvjw]

And then, they try and say it was because he was colorblind and didn’t know the window was open. He clearly STUCK his head out the open window before holding the baby out the open window.

He needs to take responsibility for his actions and take the plea deal and then drop the lawsuit against royal caribbean. The parents anger is pointed the wrong way. They need to face the facts that it was the grandfathers fault. Period.