Back in June, a five-year-old girl fell overboard from the Disney Dream and was miraculously rescued and brought back onboard safely. The father jumped in after his daughter and both were rescued from the water by Disney Cruise Line. While the five-year-old did not sustain any injuries, the father experienced hypothermia and two spinal fractures.
It was reported the mother was taking photos of her five-year-old on the Deck 4 running track. For one of the poses, the daughter sat on a railing in front of an open porthole which resulted in her falling backwards 49 feet into the ocean. As a result, the mother was initially charged with child neglect. All charges have since been cleared. In a memo from Melissa Kelly, Assistant State Attorney, she comments on the outcome-
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.
Source – The New York Times
The mother claims she thought the porthole window had a glass barrier and was not actually open to the ocean. She also stated her daughter had taken swim lessons but could not swim. The family has not been identified and their names have been redacted from a public records request.
This was the family’s first cruise together and is a stark reminder to take safety seriously while onboard any cruise ship. While most overboard cases result in casualties, Disney Cruise Line was able to get both the daughter and her father safely in a rescue boat in under twenty minutes.
To learn more about our thoughts on staying safe onboard, be sure to watch our DCL Show episode on the toping-
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