A Disney Cruise Line vacation turned into a terrifying scene after a young girl fell overboard, prompting her father to leap into the ocean after her during a return voyage from the Bahamas.
The incident occurred on June 29 aboard the Disney Dream - a $900 million luxury ship - as it sailed back to Fort Lauderdale from a four-night Bahamian cruise that included a stop at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Passengers were alerted to the unfolding emergency when the ship’s intercom sounded the code “Mr. M.O.B.” (man overboard), the Daily Mail reports.
Child Falls from Deck 4, Father Jumps In
Passengers have described the horror as they watched the girl tumble into the Atlantic Ocean from Deck 4, which features a walking track lined with plexiglass safety barriers. Despite these safety measures, it remains unclear how the child managed to fall.
In a split-second decision, the girl’s father jumped overboard after her, determined to keep her afloat while the ship, which can reach speeds of 25 mph while in service, continued moving, leaving them drifting away from the vessel.
“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
Within minutes, Disney crew members lowered a bright yellow rescue boat into the ocean. According to passengers, the father managed to tread water and keep his daughter above the waves for nearly 20 minutes while the rescue team navigated rough seas to reach them.
“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.
Passenger Janice Martin-Asuque posted, “It was so intense to watch,” as she described the emotional moment passengers witnessed from the railings. A wave of relief swept through the 3,500-capacity ship as the crew successfully pulled the father and daughter aboard the rescue boat, with passengers bursting into applause once they were safe.
Disney Praises Crew’s “Exceptional Skills”
Video shared from the scene showed the yellow Disney rescue vessel bobbing through the water as crew members hauled the father and daughter aboard.
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.”
The Disney Dream, which first sailed in 2010 and was last refurbished in 2024, is equipped with overboard detection systems that alert crew members in real-time, aiding the rapid response during emergencies.