Disney cruise ship fall: Girl's final act moments before falling overboard

Disney cruise passengers watched in horror as a young girl fell overboard, with her hero dad bravely jumping in to save her.

The terrifying ordeal took place on Sunday afternoon while the 14-deck Disney Dream cruise was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from the Bahamas in the Caribbean.

The $900m Disney Dream ship, which has a capacity of around 4,000 people, had been sailing around the Bahamas for four days and was on its last day.

According to MailOnline, passenger Dewayne Smith posted on Facebook: "We're on the Disney Dream at sea today and just witnessed a first on a cruise.

"A little girl fell overboard and her dad jumped overboard to try to save her. Man overboard calls went up immediately. The Disney crew went into action asap. Lots of praying folks on this ship! Both the little girl and dad were both successfully rescued."

READ MORE: Disney Dream cruise ship horror as girl tumbles overboard and dad dives into sea

A witness said that the girl appeared to fall overboard into the Atlantic Ocean when her father took her picture against the rail of the luxury vessel. They had been on Deck 4 at the time of the incident, which includes a jogging track and is lined with protective panels aimed at preventing such falls.

In a heroic act, her father dived over the railing into the waves to save her and the emergency alert "Mr M.O.B.", a code signifying a person overboard, was triggered. Staff sprang into action, lowering a yellow rescue boat into the sea.

The father managed to keep his daughter's head above water until crew members from the liner reached them in a rescue boat. According to witnesses, they were treading water for around 10 minutes before being picked up.

Passenger Laura Amado 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.

"The captain slowed the ship and turned it around, and then they deployed a tender ship with people on it to go get them, and we saw them rescue the dad and daughter."

A dramatic video shared by Dewayne also captured the moment the rescue vessel navigated choppy waters to bring the little girl and her father back to safety. "It was so intense to watch," wrote shocked passenger Janice Martin-Asuque in a Facebook post. recounting the rescue by the Disney Cruise Line crew.

A spokesperson told The Mirror:"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." While no serious injuries were reported, questions remained about how the child managed to fall over the ship's plexiglass barrier.