During a return trip from the Bahamas, a Disney Cruise Line holiday descended into horror when a young girl went overboard and her father dove into the ocean after her.
The event happened on June 29 on board the $900 million luxury ship Disney Dream, which was returning to Fort Lauderdale after a four-night cruise through the Bahamas that stopped at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
According to the Daily Mail, the ship’s intercom system blasted the code “Mr. M.O.B.” (man overboard) to notify passengers of the impending emergency.
Child Falls from Deck 4, Father Jumps In
As they watched the girl fall into the Atlantic Ocean from Deck 4, which has a walking track with plexiglass safety barriers, passengers have recounted the terrifying experience. It’s still unknown how the toddler fell in spite of these safety precautions.
Determined to keep her afloat while the ship, which can exceed 25 mph while in service, continued to move, the girl’s father made the snap decision to jump overboard after her, leaving them floating away from the ship.
“A girl fell overboard from the 4th deck & her dad went in after her … Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved,” passenger Kevin Furuta wrote on Facebook.
Passenger Dewayne Smith also shared on Facebook: “We are on the Disney Dream at sea today and just witnessed a first on a cruise. A little girl fell overboard and her dad jumped overboard to try to save her. Man overboard calls went up immediately. The Disney crew went into action asap. Lots of praying folks on this ship! Both the little girl and dad were both successfully rescued.”
Crew Launches Rapid Rescue
Disney employees lowered a bright yellow rescue boat into the ocean in a matter of minutes. While the rescue crew negotiated choppy waters to get to them, the father reportedly managed to tread water and maintain his daughter above the waves for almost twenty minutes.
“Ten-ish minutes later a lifeboat drops and they find the people within 3-5 minutes of that. The man treaded water for at least 20 minutes,” one observer noted online.
The heartbreaking moment that passengers observed from the rails was described by traveler Janice Martin-Asuque, who said on social media, “It was so intense to watch.” When the crew managed to get the father and daughter onto the rescue boat, the 3,500-person ship was filled with relief, and when they were safely on board, the passengers erupted in cheers.
Disney Praises Crew’s “Exceptional Skills”
As crew members dragged the father and daughter on board, footage from the scene showed the yellow Disney rescue ship bobbling through the sea.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Disney Cruise Line praised its crew: “The crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water.”
“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. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”
With overboard detection technologies that notify crew members in real-time, the Disney Dream—which sailed for the first time in 2010 and underwent its most recent refurbishment in 2024—helps respond quickly to emergencies.
