Hero dad dives into sea to save daughter who fell from Disney Dream cruise — treading water for 20 minutes before they’re pulled to safety

nypost.com ^ | June 30, 2025 | Patrick Reilly

[TheThirdRuffian]

Really. If I jumped in it probably would mean two deaths. I’m no swimmer.

But I’d still try.

[TexasGator]

“I would think someone would at least throw a life raft.”

By that time, the ship would be too far away for them to swim to it.

[RandallFlagg]

We would immediately set our speed to around 10 knots, turn in the direction that the person fell overboard (starboard or port), do a complete circle and end up where the person was.

At least that was the drill. Did it many times.

Unfortunately, the only time anyone fell over was while parked in Hong Hong. And he didn't hit the water.
There was a collection barge gathering all the crap we needed to get rid of (Used food, garbage, etc.), and he hit that. He survived.

[al_c]

They launched life preservers to them almost immediately, from what I’ve read. Honestly, 20 minutes is a pretty good time considering the speed that ship was moving.

[al_c]

4th deck looks to be the main deck. There appear to be 3 decks below, judging by the portholes.

[frog in a pot]

...if that is indeed the case this guy is no hero in my book.

If true, what is worse is that his daughter may always be reluctant to have her father place her on a high object, even if she never has a nightmare about it.

[lee martell]

“I better try and save her, since I set her on that railing for a Selfie. If I don’t save her, my Wife will kill me!”

[stanne]

You don’t run around a Disney cruise letting your kid have no floatation device

I don’t care what all the stupid moms are allowing

[Bob434]

Buoy oh buoy, at least it ended well

[TexasGator]

“You don’t run around a Disney cruise letting your kid have no floatation device”

No one wears flotation devices on cruises.

[V_TWIN]

Good thing it’s not shark week yet. 😏

[stanne]

My kid is near the side of a ship he’s wearing a floatation device or I’m not going on the cruise. Which I don’t

The ER with a drown toddler and her mother will set anyone straight on this.

[chuckee]

This is a children’s cruise line. I would assume Disney Cruises would foresee children climbing near railings and some parents not exercising caution for photo ops near railings. Seems to me, with that very real risk in mind, the railing plexiglass should be a minimum of 7 feet high. Hard to see how this little girl would have fell if that were the case

[Revel]

They won’t give you details in the news anymore. From one of the pictures I would say the girl was 8-11 years old.

[UnwashedPeasant]

Here he is:

[ANKE69]

Have you ever been on a cruise ship?
Cruise lines make sure ‘ you don’t just fall overboard.’
It usually happens to the drunk idiots who think they need to walk the balcony railing or people who think it’s cute to have their little ones sit on the railing to take pix.
Cruise lines have cameras everywhere, Im sure there is much more to this dad’s story.
If you watch your kids, like every responsible parent should do, you don’t have to put your poor kid in a life vest day and night.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"By that time, the ship would be too far away for them to swim to it."

They could rig something like a harpoon gun to deliver a float device. Or maybe just use a regular harpoon gun.

[stanne]

“ you don’t just fall overboard.’”

Ok. Well. I’m just going by the headline.

[dljordan]

“Where’d you hear that? Social media?”

FR is social media.

[citizen]

Unless the boat was dead in the water, throwing a raft out would land in the water nowhere near the swimmers.