A toddler fell from the 11th floor of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship because there was an opening in a glass wall, according to the lawyer representing the toddler's family

Peter Morgan/Associated Press

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas ship.

• Chloe Wiegand, an 18-month-old toddler, died after falling from the 11th floor of a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship on Sunday.
• Maritime lawyer Michael Winkleman told NBC News that Wiegand's grandfather placed her on a railing in a children's play area, believing there was glass in front of the railing to prevent Wiegand from falling.
• But there was an opening in the glass wall, Winkleman told NBC News.
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An 18-month-old toddler fell from the 11th floor of a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship and died because her grandfather did not realize there was a gap in a wall of glass panels, the lawyer representing the toddler's family told NBC News.

According to maritime lawyer Michael Winkleman, Chloe Wiegand's grandfather placed her on a railing in a children's play area, believing there was glass in front of the railing to prevent Wiegand from falling. But there was an opening in the glass wall, Winkleman told NBC News.

Read more: A toddler has died after falling 11 stories from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

"Essentially, her grandfather lifts her up and puts her on a railing and where he thinks that there is glass there because it's clear, but it turns out there was no glass there," Winkleman said. "She goes to bang on the glass like she would have at one of those hockey rinks, and the next thing you know, she's gone."

"Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kid's area?" Winkleman added.

Royal Caribbean declined Business Insider's request for comment on Winkleman's account, though the company said on Monday that it was "deeply saddened" by the incident.

"We are deeply saddened by yesterday's tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family," a Royal Caribbean representative told Business Insider on Monday. "We've made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need."

Read NBC News' full story here »

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