A dramatic rescue at sea after a child fell overboard off a Disney Cruise Line ship returning to Fort Lauderdale and her father leapt in after her.
The Disney Dream docked at Port Everglades early Monday morning after a four-night Bahamian cruise.
As first reported by The Street, the child went overboard on Sunday when the ship was between the Bahamas and South Florida, and her father jumped in to save her. An emergency alert then sounded on the ship and the crew sprang into action, throwing life preservers into the water and launching rescue boats.
Passenger watch swift rescue
A TikTok video from Noeayala32, shows the father treading water with his daughter in his arms. He hands over to a rescue crew from the Dream before getting in the boat as well. Passengers watching from the ship cheered when the rescue mission was complete.
“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,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement.
Kevin Furuta, who was on the ship, posted on Facebook that the child fell from Deck 4 and her dad went in after her, according to USA TODAY.
The ship has plexiglass safety barriers on its decks, so it is unclear how the child fell overboard.
This is a developing story, check back for updated information.
