Dad jumps overboard after daughter falls from Disney Dream’s fourth deck

A father became a hero when he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter after she fell from a Disney cruise ship on Sunday, June 29, according to People magazine, which first reported the dramatic rescue. The Disney Dream ship was coming back to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a four-day trip to the Bahamas when the event happened. The ship had just left Disney's private island called Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point when the girl fell from the fourth deck into the water.

Her father jumped in after her. The ship's crew acted very fast and saved both from the water within a few minutes. Disney Cruise Line praised its crew members for doing such a great job during this emergency. People magazine confirmed that no one got hurt during this incident, which could have been much worse. The cruise company said this event demonstrates the effectiveness of their safety plans when something goes wrong.

The Street reported that what started as a fun day at sea quickly turned into every parent's worst fear when the emergency happened. Passengers on the Disney Dream heard the ship's emergency code, "Mr. M.O.B.," which means "man overboard," announced over the speakers. 

According to The Street, one passenger explained that the rescue took about 20 minutes, with the father keeping himself and his daughter safe in the water while the crew worked to reach them. The ship's crew dropped a lifeboat into the choppy ocean water and found the two people within just a few minutes. 

Local 12 news reported on how passengers used social media to share their observations during the rescue operation. Thestationexplained that some people thought the ship must have been docked for such a successful rescue to have happened, but passengers confirmed that the ship was sailing at the time. One passenger wrote on social media that they heard the emergency call from their room and ran to the upper deck to watch the crew throw life preservers into the water. The ship has special glass barriers and detection systems to prevent people from falling overboard, but somehow the child still fell from the fourth deck, according to the Disney Dream Facebook group.

Local 12 reported that one passenger claimed the father had put his daughter on the ship's railing before she fell, though this has not been officially confirmed. Disney Cruise Line told the news station that their crew members train regularly for emergencies like this, which helped them act so quickly and successfully save both people from the dangerous ocean waters.