Real-life hero: Father leaps from Disney cruise to save daughter

International

IN a real-life scene more intense than any Disney film, a father didn’t hesitate to jump ship—literally—to save his daughter after she fell from the fourth deck of a Disney cruise liner into the ocean below.

The incident occurred Sunday aboard the Disney Dream, which was sailing from the Bahamas back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Passengers said the girl had been posing for a photo near a railing when she suddenly toppled into the water. Her father immediately jumped in after her.

Laura Amador, a passenger on board, recalled how quickly the ship’s movement made it difficult to keep sight of them in the water. She described watching them disappear into the distance as crew responded. “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,” she told CBS News.

According to those nearby, the two appeared to tread water for around 10 minutes before being pulled from the ocean. Video taken on board showed passengers cheering as a rescue boat returned with both father and daughter aboard.

Their names have not been released, but media reports describe the girl as a child. The incident took place on the final day of the cruise, which carried about 4,000 passengers.

Gar Frantz, who also witnessed the event, told NBC News that the scene unfolded rapidly and was difficult to process. “We watched it, you could see two little things… it was crazy, it was horrific,” he said, recalling how quickly the pair had become distant figures in the sea.

Disney Cruise Line confirmed that both guests were safely brought back aboard. “The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” a spokesperson said in a statement, adding that crew members acted promptly and effectively to ensure their safe return.

While such incidents are uncommon, they can be deadly. A 2019 report from the Cruise Lines International Association found that 25 people went overboard from cruise ships that year, with only nine surviving.