Girl Who Fell from Disney Cruise Ship Was Encouraged by Mom to Pose in Porthole

Remember the story from over the summer of the dad who jumped off a Disney cruise ship to save his daughter who had fallen into the water?  Well, as with most of these overboard situations on cruise ships, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

New reports reveal that the mother of the child had asked the girl to pose in the porthole before she fell into the ocean.

New information from a police investigation has revealed the details leading up to a viral incident in June where a 5-year-old girl fell 50 feet from the cruise ship Disney Dream and was rescued by her father.

While the original story focused on the dad’s heroic dive into the ocean, a police report reviewed by authorities, states that the girl’s mother encouraged her to stand near the porthole just seconds before she fell.

What the Police Report Stated

The report, put together by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office detectives, helped clarify the facts of the situation, even after so many rumors had spread online about the incident.

The family was walking on Deck 4 when the mother pointed to an open porthole and suggested her daughter pose for a picture there. The mother reportedly told officers she thought the porthole had a window or plexiglass barrier and believed the child would be safe.

Instead, the porthole was open to the air. The child climbed onto the railing, lost her balance, and fell backward into the ocean. The mother took multiple pictures that, when viewed together, created a short video of the child climbing onto the railing and falling.

Security footage from the ship also helped tell the story of what happened, in combination with the full account given by both parents.

The Rescue

The father, who was about ten feet ahead and didn’t see the fall, heard the mother’s screams.  She told him what happened, and it didn’t take long for him to spring into action.

After about 45 seconds of trying to get help, he made the decision to jump in after his daughter. He was able to find the girl by following her screams and kept her afloat by treading water.

The ship issued a “man overboard” call, and a rescue boat was launched to pick up both passengers. The father and daughter were brought back aboard the ship within 20 minutes of the fall.

It was a miracle that the girl was uninjured.  The father had to be given medical treatment, as some guessed it was because of the length of time he had to tread water.  Initial reports stated that he looked exhausted after the ordeal.

An Avoidable Accident

The detective who wrote the report criticized the mother’s actions.  He called the accident “avoidable” and recommended criminal neglect charges.

But the State Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and decided not to prosecute the mother, concluding that her actions, while very irresponsible, did not meet the standard for criminal negligence.