Toddler Given Vodka During Cruise
The parents of a young child on a dinner cruise were shocked to find out their toddler was served alcohol.
Army Spc. Bingyan Cai told local media that her son's orange juice was mixed with liquor while they were aboard the Alii Kai Catamaran for a dinner cruise on May 26.
Cai explained that she noticed something was amiss when she saw that her son's face was flush and he was also acting unruly and muttering, Cai told HawaiiNewsNow.com.
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"He just got really red and he just kept mumbling, 'Momma it's hot, it's hot,'" she said. "He was just so wild, full of energy and tried to run here and there but couldn't even stand straight."
In a statement, Roberts Hawaii, the company that operates the dinner cruise, expressed their deepest and sincerest apologizes to the family of the child. The company explained that it was regretful over the occurrence of the incident and as a way to make amends, gave the family a full refund.
"We have had an alcohol safety procedure in place for 20 years and this is the first time we have had an incident like this," Jennifer Hill, the company's safety officer, said. "Once our crew realized what had happened, their immediate focus was on the well-being of our guest. We are pleased and relieved that he is OK."
Cai, who was concerned for her son, took him to an acute care center in the Schofield Barracks the next day. She stated that she does not intend to use this incident as an opportunity to sue the company, but would like to see changes in the was Alii Kai's operates.
"If he had drunk the whole 12 ounces it could have been very fatal for him at this age," Cai said.
Cai filed a complaint with the Honolulu Liquor Commission.
