Disney cruise ship: Father unaware daughter had fallen overboard until wife alerted him, police confirm
A father who saved his five-year-old daughter after she fell from a Disney Cruise ship into the ocean was unaware of the incident until his wife raised the alarm, Florida police have confirmed.
The terrifying event unfolded on the morning of June 29 aboard the Disney Dream, as the ship was returning from a four-night voyage through the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the girl was sitting on a fourth-deck railing while her parents played shuffleboard nearby when she lost her balance and tumbled through a porthole, plunging 45 feet into the sea.
In an update issued by police this week, officers clarified: “The girl’s father was unaware of the accident until the mother alerted him.” He then “jumped into the ocean to save his daughter.”
Once in the water, the 37-year-old father located his daughter and “treaded water until they were rescued by a tender that was launched from the ship,” the sheriff’s office added. Footage filmed by passengers captured the moment the pair were pulled to safety by a rescue boat.
The ordeal lasted around 20 minutes before the ship's emergency vessel reached them. Both were brought aboard and assessed by medical staff. The father was later hospitalised for undisclosed injuries. “The family lives out of state,” the sheriff’s office said. “For the family’s continued privacy, detectives are not releasing their names, where they live, or the details of the father’s injury.”
Despite the traumatic circumstances, police acknowledged the outcome could have been far worse. “This family is so blessed,” a spokesperson said. “It's great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome.”
The incident occurred on the final day of the cruise. Initial reports speculated that the father had been taking a photo of the child when she fell, but police have since confirmed otherwise.
Disney Cruise Line praised its staff for the quick response. “The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” a spokesperson said. “We commend our Crew Members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes.”
Passengers on board shared accounts of the frightening scene. “The ship was moving quickly, so quickly, it's crazy how quickly the people became tiny dots in the sea, and then you lost sight of them,” said Laura Amador.
@lifeofchandler OVERBOARD Rescue on Disney Dream. 2 passengers overboard between Nassau and Grand Bahama #disney #cruise #overboard #cruisetok #mob #cruiseship #disneycruise #disneydream ♬ original sound - Chandler Sphynx
Another passenger told local media: “You could tell that he was really struggling, he’d been treading water for 15-20 minutes.”
Monica Shannon, who was on the third-floor deck at the time, said: “I kind of see something really fast flew by, I didn’t think anything of it. I just figured it was maybe a part of the show or just the experience, but about five minutes later we heard that someone flew overboard.”
She added that the deck’s railings had “little divots and spaces” that made it possible for the girl to climb up before the fall.
In footage shared on social media, the girl can be seen wrapped in a towel and embraced by a rescue worker. Her father appears visibly exhausted as he clutches a rescuer.