Photo of Salvatore Anello sobbing on TV, next to photo of him cradling granddaughter Chloe, above photo of cruise ship window she fell through
Salvatore Anello has offered an emotional account of the moment he dropped 18 month-old granddaughter Chloe Wiegand to her death through a Royal Caribbean cruise ship window (Pictures: CBS News)

A stricken grandfather struggled to maintain his composure as he recalled dropping his toddler granddaughter to her death from a cruise ship.

Salvatore Anello told CBS News how he’d lifted 18 month-old Chloe Wiegand onto a ledge of the Royal Carribean cruise ship docked in San Juan in July mistakenly believing there was glass behind it.

Anello, from South Bend in Indiana, 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.

‘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.

‘I don’t know what else to tell you.

‘It seems like it’s all not real. She’s such a beautiful little girl. Perfect little girl.’

Chloe plunged from the 11th deck of Freedom of the Seas and landed on a concrete dock 150 feet below, dying instantly.

Photo of Chloe Wiegand
Chloe plunged 150 feet from an 11th deck onto a concrete dock while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was killed instantly (Picture: CBS News)

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Police in Puerto Rico have since charged Anello with negligent homicide.

He denies the allegation, which carries a potential three year prison sentence, with Chloe’s parents Alan and Kimberly Wiegand giving Anello their full support.

They blame Royal Caribbean for ‘inexplicably’ leaving the window open in the family play area.

Anello and Puerto Rican authorities both intend to use surveillance camera footage of Chloe plunging to her death.

File photo of Freedom of the Seas
Chloe’s family are standing behind Anello, and blame Royal Caribbean for leaving the window on the ship, pictured in 2006, open (File photo/AP)

The granddad says it exonerates him, with prosecutors insisting it proves he was negligent.

Anello made his first appearance in court last week, with his next hearing scheduled for December 17.