Last June, a father and daughter were rescued after the child fell off the Disney Dream cruise ship. Now, months later, we are getting more information about how the five-year-old fell into the ocean.
It seems the girl fell after her mother tried to get a photo of her near a porthole. This caused her to fall from Deck 4 into the water below.
The incident report says that the family was walking along Deck 4 when they stopped at a decorative cutout of a ship’s porthole. From here, the mother reportedly “pointed to the porthole railing and the daughter climbed on the railing and sat down. The daughter lost her balance and fell backwards off the railing into the ocean.”
The mother said that she assumed a glass barrier was present to prohibit guests from falling and said “Disney was responsible”, according to the report.
When the mother told the father, he also jumped the 49 feet into International Waters to save his daughter, which he did.
Because the child was so small, the M.O.B. (man overboard) alarm did not initially activate until her father jumped into the water.
After the pair was rescued by Disney Cruise Line personnel, they were assessed for injuries.
The child had mild hypothermia and minor lactic acidosis, but no injuries from falling. Her father also had hypothermia, lactic acidosis, and two spinal fractures.
He had two spinal fractures and kept them both above water until help could arrive. He is a hero!
The Broward Assistant State Attorney will not press charges against the mother, as the child did not face any injuries. She said,
“While the Defendant was irresponsible, her act of facilitating the victim’s position on the railing was an isolated incident that resulted from a momentary lapse in proper judgment and unawareness of surrounding circumstances. The child did not sustain any injuries, and the Defendant immediately acquired help to rescue her daughter.”
Do not crawl up on railings over the water or allow your children to for a photo. It isn’t safe.
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