BROWARD COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Broward Sheriff’s Office Wednesday issued a statement following mass misreporting on a girl who fell overboard from a Disney Cruise Ship — the Dream — between the Bahamas and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Police say the 5-year-old was sitting on a railing when she fell into the ocean. Her father jumped off the side of the ship to save her. Both were rescued. Here is the official statement transmitted Wednesday afternoon to BocaNewsNow.com:
>> The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29, on deck 4 of a Disney cruise ship, while the ship was in international waters somewhere between the Bahamas and Port Everglades. Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate the moments before a 5-year-old girl lost her balance while sitting on a railing and falling 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.
BSO detectives said after the 37-year-old father found his daughter, he treaded water until they were rescued by a tender that was launched from the ship.
The crew’s “man overboard” training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue. BSO investigators said the total time from the child’s accidental fall to the rescue was about 20 minutes. Once rescued, the father and daughter were checked out by the ship’s medical staff. And after the ship arrived Monday morning at Port Everglades, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue transported them to an area hospital. The father was hospitalized. The family lives out of state. For the family’s continued privacy, detectives are not releasing their names, where they live, or the details of the father’s injury.BSO detectives have reviewed the ship’s security video, which corroborates the statements from the family and cruise ship staff.
The investigation into this matter continues. 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. <<