Boy, 8, Remains In Critical Condition After Nearly Drowning In Pool On Cruise Ship

BAYONNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An 8-year-old Maryland boy remains in critical condition Friday after nearly drowning on a cruise ship.

The boy was found unresponsive in a swimming pool Thursday night on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas after it departed from a Bayonne, New Jersey port.

The ship was a few miles off Breezy Point, Queens when the boy was found. In pictures posted on Twitter, the pool area can be seen blocked off by caution tape.

The boy was treated by the medical team on the ship, which then changed course and sailed back toward Bayonne.

Emergency responders rushed to the vessel and the NYPD lowered medical equipment onto the deck, officials said. Paramedics then took the boy from a NYPD chopper to a waiting ambulance, trying to keep him alive.

Investigators told CBS2 the boy was without oxygen for about 18 minutes. He is being treated at Staten Island University Hospital.

In a series of tweets, Royal Caribbean confirmed the ship sailed back to Bayonne after the boy's accident in the pool, adding "Our care team is providing support to his family. Please join us in keeping them in our thoughts & prayers."

It's still unclear what led to the incident. The ship went back out to sea early Friday morning and is now en route to the Caribbean, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported.

Royal Carribbean said their pools do not have life guards.

Back in February, passengers on the Anthem of the Seas endured what they described as a nightmare journey after a winter storm rocked the ship.

Later that month, another cruise had to be cut short due to storms and a norovirus outbreak.