Super Dad mode activated: Man jumps off Disney cruise ship to save daughter

It was a fitting Disney ending.

A father jumped off a 14-deck cruise ship operated by Disney to save his five-year-old daughter, who had fallen over a railing.

He managed to swim towards her and, for a couple of minutes, treaded water till rescuers reached the two of them.

The incident happened on June 29 on the last leg of a four-day cruise from the Bahamas to Florida.

The identities of the man and his daughter were not publicly released.

Videos of rescuers on a small boat plucking the duo out of the sea have since gone viral.

Many who saw the videos praised the father for his act of paternal heroism and self-sacrifice, and the ship’s crew for their quick response.

“Superhuman dad strength activated,” said one on the BBC’s YouTube channel.

Another said the rescuers “deserve a medal of honour each”.

It was not clear how the girl fell overboard, but witnesses said they saw the father taking pictures of her on the fourth deck when it happened.

“There was some kind of commotion,” a passenger who gave her name only as Chandler told People magazine.

“Then this awful scream from what I assume is the mother, and then this massive splash,” she said. “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool. It was so loud.”

She said she then saw a life vest drop into the water, and then heard over a loudspeaker: “MOB (man overboard) port side.”

Another passenger, Ms Laura Amador, told CBS News: “The ship was moving quickly, so quickly. It’s crazy how quickly the people became tiny dots in the sea, and then you lost sight of them.”

She added: “The captain slowed the ship and turned it around, and then they deployed a tender (smaller) ship with people on it to go get them, and we saw them rescue the dad and daughter.”

Mr Gar Frantz, who was also a passenger on the ship, told NBC News: “We watched it. You could see two little things... It was crazy. It was horrific.”

Mr Eric Pabon, who was on the same cruise, told CBS News: “It took everybody’s breath away, to be honest with you. Very nerve-racking to say the least, but as a father, like I said, I would’ve done the same thing.”

He added: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I hope I never get to see again.”

The 4,000-person capacity Disney Dream cruise ship, was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after sailing for four days around the Bahamas.

But how did she fall overboard?

Disney confirmed in a statement that two passengers were rescued, but offered few details about what occurred.

“The crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesman said. “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.”

The lack of clarity and details had some wondering how much of the accident was, in fact, the father’s fault.

“She cannot fall over the railing unless she was lifted up or she climbed up,” said one YouTube viewer.

Another viewer was just as direct in blaming the father, saying: “The daughter fell overboard only because of the father’s negligence.”

Most, however, were on the father’s side, calling hm “hero father”, “brave dad”, and “dad of the decade”.

People magazine reported on July 2 that the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Florida was looking into the incident.

A statement from the sheriff’s office said: “While there doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious, detectives are investigating the circumstances that led up to the child falling overboard.”

Said a sheriff’s representative: “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.”

While it is rare for passengers to fall from cruise ships, rescues are not often successful when they do.

According to a Cruise Lines International Association report from 2019, 25 people fell overboard that year from cruise ships and only nine were saved.