Royal Caribbean cruise: Tributes paid to 'brilliant' and 'cherished' boy, 12, who plunged to death from balcony

Pierson 'Piers' Davis, 12, was with his mum, dad, and two sisters aboard the Royal Caribbean ship Harmony of the Seas on the final evening of its seven-day voyage to the Western Caribbean when the tragedy struck on 7 September. The boy, from Coloma, Michigan fell from the railing of his family's 13th floor cabin balcony to the busy Central Park plaza five storeys below, hours before the ship was due to dock back at Galveston in Texas.

The investigation into his death has been taken over by the FBI, and Piers' family gathered on Saturday (21 September) near their family home for a funeral on what would have been their son's 13th birthday. His mother Audra Davis wrote ahead of his funeral: “The thing every parent hopes and prays does not happen to them. It happened to me. It happened to us.”

She added: “I don't have many words right now. My family and I were on a cruise vacation the first week of September and the day before we were to arrive at port the unthinkable happened. My son tragically died. He was 12 and would have turned 13 later this month.

“To all those who have reached out to me and my family to offer your support, love, prayers and good intentions, thank you. It means everything to us.”

Piers was the “cherished middle child” of his parents and was on board with sisters Amelia and Zuzana for what fellow passengers thought was a birthday celebration. The boy had taken part in the cruise's teen-club, and many passengers said their children had got to know the boy before his death.

Witnesses said Piers had been playing with a group of friends he had made on board shortly before the accident, with some suggesting chairs had been pushed up against the balcony railing. Royal Caribbean staff attempted to resuscitate the youngster, but he died before the ship docked in Texas.

The FBI refused to share details of the investigation other than to say that it “remains ongoing”. Royal Caribbean has refused to comment.