Truth about girl's fall from Disney cruise revealed

Social media was quick to assign blame, but the rumours have now been discredited.

Fresh details have emerged after a child fell from the deck of a Disney Cruise ship.

 

Authorities have confirmed that the father of the five-year-old girl did not place her on the balcony railing, contrary to online speculation.

On Sunday, June 29, the ship was returning to Florida from the Bahamas when the child fell overboard from the vessel’s fourth deck.

The father and daughter were rescued after spending 20 minutes in the water. Disney Image: noeayala32

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In a moment of quick thinking, her father sprang into action, diving into the waters of the Atlantic below to save her.

Moments later, an alert echoed through the ship: “Mr. MOB … port side!" which is a reference to a man overboard emergency.

The pair spent around 20 minutes in the water before they were rescued by crew and safely returned to the ship.

The 37-year-old father was taken to hospital after the ship docked and treated for an undisclosed injury. His name has not been released.

Images and videos flooded online platforms as the dramatic scenes unfolded.

Upon returning to the ship, fellow travellers cheered for the successful outcome of the rescue. 

In the hours that followed the frightening events, videos and photos of the dramatic rescue circulated widely online.

However, new information released by the Broward Sheriff’s Office has dispelled those claims.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office told CBS News  "little girl was not being held, as erroneously reported on some social media sites." 

"This family is so blessed. It's great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome."

Police told PEOPLE that the girl "lost her balance while sitting on a railing and [fell] backward through a porthole."

"After the girl’s mother alerted her husband, who didn’t see the incident, he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter."

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Police are continuing their investigations after the girl and father went into the water from The Disney Dream ship. Image: iStock

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One passenger, Laura Amador, described just how frighting things got. She watched on in horror as they both floated deep into the horizon. 

"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," she told CBS News.

"The captain slowed the ship and turned it around, and then they deployed a tender ship with people on it to go get them, and we saw them rescue the dad and daughter."

The heroic rescue efforts of the father and staff have been applauded by the local police department.  

"The Disney crew was well prepared. Clearly, their training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue," the statement said.

The investigation is continuing, however they made it clear that there "doesn't appear to be anything suspicious" in regards to how the incident unfolded.

Disney Cruise Line released a statement addressing the incident earlier this week. 

A spokesperson said:  

"The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water. 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."

Originally published as Truth about girl's fall from Disney cruise revealed