Father jumps off Disney cruise ship to save daughter who fell overboard

Disney cruise ship crew rescued a father and daughter who fell into the water during a cruise between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

It has been reported the father was taking a photo of his daughter against a railing on the fourth deck when she fell into the water. Witnesses say the man then jumped into the water himself to rescue the girl.

A man overboard signal was quickly heard and crew members ventured into the water on a small boat to rescue the pair by pulling them onto the vessel, as passengers could be herd cheering.

Passengers on board the cruise ship describe what they saw.

“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,” passenger Laura Amador said.

One other described the father looking tired after treading water with his daughter for so long.

The incident took place on the last day of the cruise, as the ship was returning from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale.

Footage filmed by passengers shows the moment the small boat rescued the father and daughter.

Disney has released few official details about the incident but praised the quick work of their crew members in a statement.

“The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” a Disney Cruise Line 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.”

It is rare for passengers to fall overboard from cruise ships and data from the Cruise Lines International Association shows the number of incidents is falling.

It remains the case however that when passengers do fall overboard they are rarely rescued. In 2019, 25 people fell overboard, but only nine were recovered.