Posted on 10/22/2025 5:50:23 AM PDT by Red Badger
Florida authorities have released new details surrounding the June 29 incident aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, where a 5-year-old girl fell 50 feet into the ocean after being told by her mother to pose for a photo in front of an open porthole, as reported by The New York Post.
According to a report from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the child lost her balance and fell into the water at approximately 11:29 a.m. while the ship was returning to Florida from the Bahamas. Her father jumped into the ocean roughly 45 seconds later in an effort to save her.
Initial reports circulating online suggested that the father had lifted his daughter onto the railing before she slipped. However, police investigators confirmed that surveillance footage and witness statements indicated it was the girl’s mother who encouraged her to climb onto the railing to take a picture.
The report said the mother “offered for her daughter to take a picture in the porthole” and believed there was glass covering the opening.
“[The mom] assumed the porthole had a window or plexiglass, and she thought that [her daughter] would be caught by the glass, but instead, she kept falling,” the document stated.
Investigators found that the mother had taken several photos of her daughter in similar poses during the trip. “She provided me with a picture of [the girl] laying in a porthole with a window on it,” one deputy noted.
The mother reportedly captured multiple images during the accident sequence that, when viewed in succession, showed the child climbing up before falling backward into the water.
Detective Christopher Favitta, who examined the scene, rejected the mother’s later claim that Disney Cruise Line was responsible, writing that “upon looking at the window myself, as a prudent person, I immediately saw that the window was open to the air, and did not have a covering.”
He added, “This act, facilitated by [the mother], placed the child in a life-threatening situation.”
The father, who was walking about 10 feet ahead at the time, turned to see his daughter in the ocean and immediately ran to find help before jumping into the water.
Following the mayday call, ship personnel launched a rescue boat within three minutes, and both the father and daughter were pulled from the water by 11:50 a.m.
The child was evaluated by the ship’s medical staff and later transported with her father to Broward Health Medical Center. The girl escaped without injury, while her father received treatment for an undisclosed medical issue.
Authorities initially praised the father for his quick response and later issued a public clarification after false rumors suggested he was to blame.
Detective Favitta recommended criminal charges against the mother, but the Broward County State Attorney’s Office declined prosecution.
“While the defendant’s conduct is arguably negligent and irresponsible, it does not rise to the egregious level of conduct necessary to establish criminal culpable negligence,” Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly stated in a September 16 email.
The investigation has since been closed, with officials labeling the event an avoidable accident.
“The girl escaped without injury.” Well that was a happy ending. So far.
Other outlets report that the authorities declined to prosecute for child endangerment .........
Good news for that poor child! Prayers for her future with a mother like that!
That writer was really good at keeping you searching for details. I was in suspense about what happened to the little girl until I went back through it.
Best of luck with a lawsuit against the mouse.....back in the 90s a guy that worked in my building tried that.
His wife actually did have a slip and fall incident in the theme park so they retained legal representation and filed suit.
Problem was, she wasn’t injured as bad as they were letting on.
A few weeks went by and DW contacted them for a meeting.
When they walked into the designated conference room with their one attorney they were met by no less than TWENTY DW lawyers and private investigators.
They were then shown video of the wife performing many physical activities after the fall accident that she should not have been able to do.
At that point their lawyer moved to withdraw the lawsuit.
They were then presented with billing charges for all DW lawyers and private investigators hours expended and were told if they refused DW would counter sue.
Like Mickey or not......that little rodent has sharp teeth. 😏
Same here!!!
Well known legal fact:
You don’t Mess with the Mouse
lol
Had to read the whole thing to find out they survived.
It was a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense.
A female employee at a company I used to work for was ‘found unconscious’ in a restroom where she had supposedly slipped and fell and hit her head. No one witnessed the fall.
She sued the company for negligence.
Same thing happened to her. They had videos of her dancing at a local nightclub..............
She assumed? She couldn't see it with her own eyes? That's like telling your kid to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon for a picture because you assume there is a net that will catch you if you fall.
But second, how does a ship have an open porthole that a kid can access in the first place?
Same here! I was wondering about the fate of the little girl.....the article took a while to let you know she’s OK.
Yep.
I had a buddy in the 80s that worked for his dad’s private investigation company here. All he did all day was follow people around recording them doing things they said they were too injured to do.....he told me if I ever got into a lawsuit like that and wasn’t injured as badly as I was saying I was I’d better act like I was ALL THE TIME because he guaranteed there would be somebody like him watching me ALL THE TIME. 😏
If he didn't shysters like that couple would bankrupt them. Sets a good example for others.
Those of a certain age will remember an episode of the Brady Binch on this theme. A cautionary and prophetic tale
Pretty good dad, though.
Most people that think they’re gonna get a quick payday on DW fail to realize they probably see this type of thing daily......and probably multiple times daily.
Hope the father is talking to a good divorce attorney now. That idiot he’s married to is a menace.
I wonder if she has life insurance on the child.
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