Fort Lauderdale, FL – On Sunday, June 29, 2025, a young girl fell overboard from the fourth deck of the Disney Dream cruise ship while it was returning from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The incident occurred during a four-day voyage that included a stop at Disney’s Lookout Cay. The girl’s father immediately jumped into the Atlantic Ocean to assist her. The ship’s crew responded by launching a yellow rescue boat and deploying life preservers. An emergency alert, identified as “Mr. MOB” (man overboard), was broadcast over the ship’s loudspeakers. The father and daughter were in the water for approximately 20 minutes before being rescued and returned to the vessel.h
Disney Cruise Line confirmed the rescue, stating that the crew’s actions ensured the safe return of both individuals within minutes. The cause of the girl’s fall remains unclear. The Disney Dream is equipped with plexiglass safety barriers and an overboard detection system. Passenger reports, including posts on the Disney Dream Cruise Ship Facebook Group, noted the crew’s prompt response.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s 2022 report, overboard incidents occur at a rate of 20 to 25 per year among 25 million passengers annually. A 2009-2019 dataset from Boarding Area indicates a survival rate of 17-25% for such incidents. The ship, which departed Fort Lauderdale on June 26, 2025, was scheduled to arrive back at port at 8:00 AM on June 30, 2025. Further details on the incident are pending investigation.
