No matter how many safety precautions cruise lines take to prevent accidents at sea, there’s always a chance that the unthinkable could happen.
On June 29, what was meant to be a magical day at sea on a Disney cruise turned into a parent’s (and family cruise line’s) worst nightmare.
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While the Disney Dream was sailing back to Fort Lauderdale, returning from Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in The Bahamas, the ship’s four-night Bahamian cruise turned terrifying.
At this time, it’s unclear exactly how it happened, but a child fell overboard from the ship.
Several Disney Dream passengers reported on social media that they heard the vessel emergency code Mr. M.O.B. (man overboard) announced on board and then witnessed the ship’s crew spring into rescue mode.
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Disney Cruise Line crew rescue child and father who went overboard
The Disney Dream crew pulled off an incredible rescue, saving both the young child and her father who jumped in after her, according to social media posts from passengers on board the ship.
“We are on the Disney Dream at sea today and just witnessed a first on a cruise. A little girl fell overboard and her dad jumped overboard to try to save her. Man overboard calls went up immediately. The Disney crew went into action asap. Lots of praying folks on this ship! Both the little girl and dad were both successfully rescued,” Dewayne Smith wrote in a public post on Facebook.
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In social media discussions, some cruisers assumed that the ship must have been docked for the crew to be able to pull off a successful rescue of this magnitude. However, the ship was cruising en route to Fort Lauderdale.
“Not docked! Halfway between Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale! Fully moving! Heard in our rooms ‘Mr. M.O.B port side.' Ran to the 11th deck to see them throwing life preservers. 10ish minutes later a lifeboat drops and they find the people within 3-5 minutes of that. The man treaded water for at least 20 minutes,” metzd87 explained in the DCL community on Reddit.
How could a child fall overboard from a Disney cruise ship?
The alarming incident left many cruisers wondering how a child could manage to fall overboard from a Disney cruise ship considering all the safety precautions the cruise line has in place like plexiglass barriers to prevent climbing on railings.
According to passenger comments in the Reddit thread, the child fell from Deck 4 of the Disney Dream, which features a walking/jogging track.
It’s obvious that the father was with the child when she fell since he jumped in immediately after her, but it’s unclear at this time exactly how she fell overboard from the ship.
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But no matter how the incident occurred, the fact that Disney Cruise Line crew members were able to successfully rescue the child and her father in the middle of the ocean is a testament to their rigorous emergency training. Cruise ship crew members conduct frequent safety drills to prepare for unimaginable situations just like this one.
Training, practice, and repetition are the foundations of Disney Cruise Line’s commitment to the safety and well-being of its passengers and crew. Disney Dream crew members certainly proved the strength of that program during this rescue operation.
