Heroic Father Rescues Daughter After She Falls Overboard Disney Cruise Ship

A heart-stopping moment unfolded aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship when a young girl accidentally fell overboard from the fourth deck, prompting her father to leap into the ocean after her in a desperate and heroic rescue.

The dramatic incident took place on Sunday, June 29, as the ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following a four-night cruise through the Bahamas. The vessel had just made a scheduled stop at Disney’s private island, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, when the girl reportedly slipped from a railing and plunged into the water below.

According to fellow passengers, the girl’s father acted instantly, jumping in without hesitation to save his daughter. A voice over the ship’s loudspeaker soon announced, “Man overboard, port side,” sending the crew into immediate action. Crew members from the Disney Dream launched a lifeboat and successfully retrieved both the father and daughter from the ocean within minutes.

Eyewitness Kevin Furuta shared his account in a post, stating that the father kept the girl afloat while they waited for help. Other passengers who saw the event described it as a terrifying but inspiring moment. One traveler noted that the child had been sitting on the railing shortly before the fall, and the father jumped in almost instantly after she slipped.

Video captured by a passenger shows a lifeboat navigating rough waters as it returned the pair safely to the ship. Despite the frightening ordeal, both the father and daughter were uninjured, thanks to the swift response of the Disney Cruise Line rescue team.

In an official statement, Disney praised the efforts of its crew: “We commend our team for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes. We are fully committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the strength of our safety protocols.”

The quick-thinking actions of both the father and the cruise staff turned what could have been a tragedy into a powerful moment of courage and rescue at sea.