Unfortunate news is coming out of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Miami headquarters. A 6-year-old boy has drowned in a pool aboard one of its cruise ships. The boy has been identified as Qwentyn Hunter of Winter Garden, Florida. The CARNIVAL VICTORY was on the last leg of a four-day Caribbean cruise Sunday when the tragedy happened.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a Norovirus outbreak is currently occurring on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship. The Summit is currently on a two week cruise of the Canadian Maritime. Thus far 307 passengers and 14 crewmembers are exhibiting symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. Samples taken by the Canadian health officials in Halifax confirm the outbreak to be Norovirus. The CDC will send an Epidemiologist and one Environmental Health Officer to meet the ship in its home port of Bayonne, New Jersey on October 5th to conduct an epidemiologic investigation, targeted environmental health assessment, and monitor the sanitation procedures on board prior to the embarkation of new passengers. This marks the fourth time a Celebrity cruise ship has reported such an outbreak this year.
The people of Key West, Florida voted down a measure that would have ordered an Army Corps of Engineers study on whether the city should expand its main shipping channel to accommodate the ever larger ships being launched by the major cruise lines. The proposed expansion would displace some 150,000 cubic yards of sea floor protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The final tally was 4,531 (73.54%) citizens saying no to the study as opposed to 1,630 (26.46%) who voted for the study.
Two Pennsylvania tourists died over the weekend when the water scooter they rented collided with a double-decker sightseeing boat in the waters off Clearwater, Florida. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently investigating the accident. A spokesperson for the FWC, stated, “There’s no determination of fault until the investigation is complete,”
Beyel Brothers barge worker Shaun Cheney was found dead in the Canaveral Barge Canal. Cheney is believed to have fallen off the barge near Dover Avenue on Merritt Island on September 13th. Authorities stated Cheney was on the barge with co-workers when someone noticed he was missing around 10 a.m. No witness to Cheney’s accident has come forward. Mr. Cheney’s brother told media reports that Shaun, “worked on the barges for the last few years, been around boats his whole life, loves the water, never wanted to move away.”
