Chaos as Child Falls Overboard Disney Cruise—Dad Leaps After Her and Treads Water for 20 Minutes Until Dramatic Rescue

A Disney Dream cruise ship experienced a brief moment of panic on Sunday when a young girl fell overboard and her father immediately jumped in after her.

He kept both himself and his daughter afloat by treading water for nearly 20 minutes while they waited for rescue.

The ship was on its way back from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale when the girl fell from the fourth deck. It is currently unclear how she fell, but her father wasted no time in diving in after her, determined to keep her alive.

Disney crew members acted straight away, and passengers watched in suspense from the railings as the crew lowered a yellow rescue boat.

The father and daughter were safely retrieved, and passengers could be heard clapping as the lifeboat made its way back to the main ship.

Passengers Recalled Hearing 'Man Overboard' Announcement

Those on board heard the ship's emergency code 'Mr M.O.B' (man overboard) announced over the intercom before seeing the rescue team spring into action.

On Facebook, passengers shared their experiences of witnessing the terrifying moment.

'We are on the Disney Dream at sea today and just witnessed a first on a cruise,' Dewayne Smith wrote, explaining that a girl had fallen off the ship.

'Man overboard calls went up immediately. The Disney crew went into action as soon as possible. Lots of praying folks on this ship!' he added.

'Right after the incident we heard on the loudspeaker "MOB port side"! Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved,' Kevin Furuta wrote in the Disney Dream Cruise Ship Group on Facebook.

The ship was nearing the end of its trip when the incident took place. It departed Fort Lauderdale on 26 June and arrived in Nassau, the Bahamas, the following morning. Disney Dream visited Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on 28 June and was due back in Fort Lauderdale on 30 June.

The girl fell overboard while the ship was moving on its return journey to Fort Lauderdale, adding to the intensity of the situation.

Disney Cruise Line shared a statement on the incident: '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.'

They added: 'We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.'

It Could've Been A Lot Worse

Thanks to the quick response of both the girl's father and the crew, no fatalities occurred and all returned safely to the main ship.

A family on a cruise in 2019 was not so fortunate.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when a toddler fell 11 storeys from the ship's window.

Chloe and her grandfather were in a water park area surrounded by a 'wall of windows.' Her grandfather believed the windows were all closed and thought nothing of it when Chloe went to bang on one.

To his horror, the windows could be opened by passengers, and Chloe fell through the empty space.

This tragedy, along with this week's close call, serves as a stark reminder for carers to keep a close eye on young children when on a cruise, due to the higher risks of falling from great heights.