Passenger recalls 'miracle' rescue after child and father fall overboard on Disney cruise

A trip up alongside a walt disney woolgather sail nearly turned into a nightmare this weekend after a child reportedly fell overboard and her dad jumped in after her.

Both the child, reportedly age five, and her father were saved, according to multiple media reports and other passengers aboard the four-day cruise on a Disney Dream ship.

"We heard the M.O.B. Call on the intercom," Lindholm said, referring to code for "man overboard."

"Then, we watched the rescue from the fourth floor. Disney did a wonderful job. It was fast and amazing," said Lindholm, 38, from Houston.

"The man rescued was giving a thumbs-up sign as their small boat was approaching the cruise ship, and everyone cheered on the ship as they boarded back on," she said.

"Miracle, for sure."

"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 statement continued.

In the "Disney Dream Cruise Ship Group" on Facebook, other passengers described the accident as occurring from the fourth deck of the ship. According to the Disney Dream's floorplan available on the Disney Cruise website, the fourth deck has a walking track that wraps around the ship.

"A girl fell overboard from the fourth deck and her dad went in after her," wrote a passenger Sunday.

"Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved," he added.

It's unclear how the child fell overboard. There are plexiglass barriers on the decks, according to multiple passenger posts and Disney cruise forums.

On the Facebook page, some passengers described the terrified mother yelling from the deck, "She's five and she can't swim!"

"It was incredible," Lindholm said of the rescue.

How AI could speed up search and rescue missions at sea

It's rare for passengers to fall overboard. According to a report by trade body Cruise Lines International Association, 212 people (both passengers and crew) fell overboard between 2009 and 2019, which they say represents just 0.00004 per cent of passengers and crew. 

Nearly half, or 48 per cent, were rescued, according to the report. And in every case where the cause could be determined "following a careful investigation, it was found to be the result of an intentional or reckless act."

In 2019, an Indiana toddler fell to her death from the 11th storey of a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico. The girl was travelling with her parents, two siblings and two sets of grandparents aboard the Freedom of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean Cruise.

Her grandfather was eventually charged in her death. He was holding Chloe Wiegand when she slipped from his grasp and fell about 150 feet to her death from an open window. 

He said he didn't know the window was open when he lifted Chloe up to it.

Senior Writer & Editor

---

---