Toddler left 'fighting for their life after falling several metres on board Tui cruise ship'

Dan McDonald
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:05:11 +0000

A two-year-old child is said to be battling for survival following a fall aboard a Tui cruise ship in Madeira.

The young child, identified only as a foreign national travelling with their parents, plummeted between 10 and 13 feet in circumstances that remain unclear.

Medical personnel stabilised the toddler at the scene before taking them to hospital.

The accident took place on Wednesday morning whilst the Mein Schiff 7 was berthed in Funchal, the island's capital.

Hospital sources have confirmed to local media that the child sustained extremely grave injuries and remains in a critical condition.

An internal inquiry into the incident has reportedly been initiated.

The Mein Schiff 7 ranks among the newest vessels in Tui's fleet, with capacity for approximately 3,000 passengers.

Red Cross personnel and emergency medical responders were dispatched once the alarm was raised.

The ship is undertaking a week-long voyage that left Gran Canaria on April 20 and is scheduled to return there on Monday.

Madeira's port authority confirmed a child was taken to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital following an incident aboard the docked cruise liner.

The authority declined to provide details regarding the child's age, nationality or the specific circumstances.

In its statement, the Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira said: "The incident occurred within the ship's jurisdiction area."

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It added: "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."

Port officials had earlier announced the Mein Schiff 7 arrived carrying 2,936 passengers and 1,037 crew members for a 38-hour stopover.

The vessel sailed from Las Palmas and is due to depart on Thursday afternoon bound for La Palma.

The voyage marks the ship's final Madeira visit until November.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association (Clia), over 2.5 million people from Britain and Ireland took ocean cruises last year.

The figure represents an all-time high for cruise tavel - eclipsing the record set in 2024 with 2.4 million passengers.

The top destination for Britons is the Mediterranean, followed closely by Northern Europe and the Caribbean.

Although the average passenger age is 56, there has been a spike in younger travellers in recent years.

Figures from Clia revealed a seven per cent hike in passengers under the age of 12 on board cruises last year.