Sheriff: Father did not place 5-year-old girl on railing before Disney Cruise overboard fall

Authorities clarify details in Disney Cruise overboard incident

The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a 5-year-old girl who fell overboard from a Disney Cruise Line ship was not placed on the railing by her father prior to the fall. The incident occurred on Sunday, June 29, aboard the Disney Dream as it returned from a four-night Bahamas itinerary to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

According to law enforcement, the child fell from the vessel’s fourth deck. Contrary to early social media speculation, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed to CBS News and PEOPLE that “the little girl was not being held by her father on the railing at the time of the fall.”


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PIO Veda Coleman-Wright further stated the child “lost her balance while sitting on a railing and [fell] backward through a porthole.” The girl’s mother reportedly witnessed the incident and alerted her husband, who had not seen the fall. The 37-year-old father, whose name has not been released, jumped overboard to rescue his daughter.

Rescue response and eyewitness accounts from Disney Dream Cruise ship

Disney Cruise Line staff executed an emergency rescue operation after the girl and her father entered the water. Both were pulled from the ocean and returned to the ship by Disney’s trained crew within approximately 30 minutes. The Disney Dream docked at Port Everglades on Monday morning, July 3, where the father was transported to a hospital for treatment of an unspecified injury.

“The Disney crew was well prepared. Clearly, their training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in a release. “While there doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious, Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the circumstances that led up to the child falling overboard.”

One passenger, identified only as Chandler, recalled a scream followed by a loud splash while the ship was sailing between Nassau and Grand Bahama Island. “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool, it was so loud,” she told PEOPLE.

Also read: Did they survive? Dad jumps from Disney cruise ship overboard to save child, here's what happened

Chandler added that a life vest was thrown into the water about 15 seconds later, followed by an announcement over the ship’s intercom: “MOB port side.” Three additional flotation devices were deployed, and a rescue boat with four crew members was launched. Video shared by Chandler on TikTok shows the successful retrieval of both passengers. She reported the incident began at 11:15 a.m., with the rescue completed by 11:47 a.m.

In a statement, Disney Cruise Line 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.”

The company added, “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”