A fearless father jumped off a Disney cruise ship on Sunday to rescue his daughter after she fell overboard — managing to reach her and tread water for about 20 minutes until they were both rescued.
The Disney Dream was en route from Florida to the Bahamas when a loud alert rang out: “Mr. MOB … port side!” — code for “man overboard,” as captured in dramatic video footage.
“A girl fell overboard from the 4th deck and her dad went in after her,” fellow passenger Kevin Furuta shared on Facebook.
Other anxious vacationers looked on as a bright yellow rescue boat was lowered into the water and made its way toward the father and daughter, who were drifting in the Atlantic.
The dad had been holding his daughter — who appeared to be about 5 years old — for roughly 20 minutes before they were finally pulled to safety, according to online accounts.
“Lots of praying folks on this ship!” wrote passenger Dewayne Smith, who also shared that the “little girl fell overboard and her dad jumped overboard to try to save her.”
“Both the little girl and her dad were successfully rescued,” witnesses confirmed.
It remains unclear how the girl ended up in the ocean.
Deck 4, from which she reportedly fell, is one of the lowest publicly accessible levels on the Disney Dream—likely less than 50 feet above the waterline. According to the Disney Cruise Line website, the deck features bars, a theater, and an outdoor jogging track.
Though open-air, the area is lined with chest-high railings for adults—taller than most children—and fitted with plexiglass panels designed to prevent climbing.
In a statement, Disney Cruise Line confirmed that crew members “swiftly rescued two guests from the water.”
