(Photo: Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett)A cruise ship in this December 2012 file photo.

A child has fallen from a cruise ship deck, forcing it to turns back to seek emergency assistance and treatment for the young child.

It has been reported on Friday that a 14 month old toddler crawled away from their parents and fell one whole desk level down. The resulting injury to the toddler forced the Royal Caribbean Cruises ship captain to divert from the cruise ship's schedule and turn back to Port Canaveral where an airlift was arranged to take the child to a hospital.

Reports have said that the captain made the decision to turn the cruise ship back after it became clear that the toddler would need more urgent medical care that was not available on the ship.

The cruise ship owners have said that the child's family was traveling from India and was on board the Royal Caribbean Cruises ship called "Monarch of the Seas" when the tragic accident occurred. A company statement has also explained that the child fell from the 11th floor balcony down onto the 10th floor deck.

The cruise ship had just left Port Canaveral with its destination set for Nassau in the Bahamas. The trip was supposed to have taken three days, however, just a short while after setting off, the accident occurred and the ship turned around.

Authorities have said that the injuries to the toddler were serious enough that an airlift helicopter had to be arranged to transport the injured child to the hospital as soon as possible. The cruise ship company has been said to be working with the family in question and offering support.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is a Norwegian–American global cruise company based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc.

As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fully owns five cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France.