The heart-wrenching moment a man dropped his "perfect little" granddaughter to her death from a cruise ship window has emerged.

A CCTV video posted on social media captures Salvatore Anello picking up 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand on board the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas liner, before the toddler fell 150 feet.

The grandfather, from Indiana, USA, claims he believed the window Chloe fell from was closed and would block her fall after she slipped from his grasp. 

Anello, from Indiana, USA, now faces three years behind bars over little Chloe's death after prosecutors charged him with negligent homicide.

• 
  Grandfather constantly relives moment he 'dropped baby to death from cruise ship'

• 
  Granddad who 'dropped tot from cruise ship' says 'no punishment worse than losing her'

The tragic incident happened while the boat was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico at around 4.30pm on July 7.

The footage has been published by La Comay Mega TV and shows Chloe running from Anello amongst other passengers.

The grandfather walks over and lifts her above his head before apparently losing grip and she disappears.

Anello has been offered a plea deal which would involve him admitting negligence but he is adamant he believed the window was closed, which he mistook because he's colour blind.

He said he had previously lifted Chloe up to bang on the glass while watching a hockey match in the children's play area. 

• 
  Parents of toddler who fell to death on cruise ship stand by grandfather as he's charged

In an emotional interview with CBS News last month, Anello spoke of his 'disbelief' at the tragedy which he insists was an accident

He said: "I remember trying to find her on the floor and then I saw her fall, I saw her fall, I saw her fall and I was just in disbelief. And I was like 'Oh my God.'

"And I think for a while I was in shock and I was just standing there. And then I just remember screaming that I thought there was glass. I thought there was glass.

• 
  Granddad who 'dropped tot from cruise ship window' charged with negligent homicide

"I still say it to myself, it's just, I kind of relive it all the time and I just thought there was glass there."

"It seems like it's all not real. She's such a beautiful little girl. Perfect little girl," Anello said.

In an earlier interview Anello said that no punishment could be worse than losing his grandchild.

“They can’t do anything worse to me than has already happened,” he told NBC News.

Chloe's parents  Alan and Kimberly Wiegand  are said not to blame Anello for the death.

Kimberly, 36, and police officer Alan, 41, say the cruise ship firm should not have left the window open in the family play area.

Family attorney Michael Winkleman said Anello put Chloe up on a wood railing beside what he thought was a wall of closed windows, unaware that a sliding window was open.

The Freedom of the Seas has a height of around 210ft and the 11th floor will have been around 150ft above land level when the vessel was docked.

Anello will next appear in court on January 27, 2020.

Source: Read Full Article