Dad jumps from Disney cruise to save 5-year-old daughter who fell overboard

A father overboard on a Disney cruise ship jumped to rescue his 5-year-old daughter as she fell off the ship. The incident happened on June 29 as the Disney Dream was returning to Fort Lauderdale from a four-night Bahamian sailing, including a stop at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The girl fell off the deck of the fourth floor and was followed by her father. Both of them stayed afloat for twenty minutes before being rescued by the crew.

Several reports say the father was setting his daughter up for a photo on the fourth floor as she fell off the ship. In a Facebook post, passenger Kevin Furuta said, “A girl fell overboard from the 4th deck & her dad went in after her ... Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved!”

"The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water," reported USA Today, quoting a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson.

The 4000 people-capacity ship was moving very quickly. It drifted away even after the 'Man overboard' rang out over the ship’s intercom. The captain turned the ship around, and a small tender ship was deployed with people. They reached the father-daughter duo and brought them back to the ship. Videos on social media show people cheering for them as they were being rescued by the crew. No injuries were reported.

“We commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes”, Disney Cruiseline mentioned in a statement to the PEOPLE.

The incident described by many as scary, as many of these cases turn fatal, and rescues are not often successful but the heroic effort of the father has won the hearts of everyone on the ship and the internet.