Father jumps overboard after daughter falls off Disney cruise ship

A Disney cruise to the Bahamas ended with a terrifying twist over the weekend after a young girl fell overboard and her father jumped in to save her.

The incident occurred aboard the Disney Dream off the port of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, where the ship was returning from its final at-sea day during a four-night cruise to the Bahamas.

Dramatic footage showed the rescue crew from the Disney Dream using a small yellow boat to pull the pair from the water.

"I just saw a bunch of the staff running outside on the fourth floor deck, and I figured something had happened," Gail Merrick told ABC News.

Tracy Hughes, who watched the entire incident unfold, told ABC News "it was the most terrifying and scary situation ever."

"His child fell in the water and he instinctively, without hesitation, jumped in and went after his child," Hughes continued. "I believe, had he not done that, his child might not have survived."

Passengers aboard the cruise later confirmed that a "Mr. M.O.B." announcement went out over the ship's intercom and that the crew immediately went into rescue mode.

Videos of the rescue have garnered hundreds of views on social media. One passenger wrote in a Disney Dream Cruise Ship group on Facebook that the girl fell "from the fourth deck and her dad went in after her -- Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved!"

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A spokesperson for Disney Cruise Line told ABC News in a statement, "The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water. 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. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols."

Laura Amador, another passenger who witnessed the moment, told ABC News "we couldn't see the people" because "the ship was moving -- so quickly."

"It's crazy how quickly the people became tiny dots in the sea and they lost sight of them," she added.

As the yellow rescue boat found the pair and pulled them to safety, passengers could be heard cheering from the ship.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

An earlier version of this story was first published June 30, 2025.