Man jumps from Disney cruise ship to save fallen daughter
A father jumped from a cruise ship to try to save his daughter, who fell into the ocean.
BBC reported that on June 30, the daughter fell from the fourth deck of a 14-deck Disney Dream, which was sailing for four days around the Bahamas and was already on its way back to Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Witnesses said the girl appeared to have fallen as she was standing against a railing as her father took her photo. He went after her.
After the fall, a man overboard alert was broadcast, and the crew rushed to save them.
The pair was treading water for 10 minutes before being safely recovered by a rescue boat.
"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," a passenger named Laura Amador is quoted as saying.
Amador also told CBS News that following the incident, the captain slowed the ship and turned it around.
"Then they deployed a tender ship with people on it to go get them, and we saw them rescue the dad and daughter," she said.
A spokesperson for Disney confirmed to BBC that the two passengers had been rescued, though didn't give many details about the incident.
"The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water," the 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."
The ship returned to port in Florida as usual.
Disney Dream has a 4,000-person capacity. The design is in the Art Deco style and features elements from the world of Walt Disney.
Activities on board include several sports, theaters, and rotational dining.
