Docs reveal what led to 5-year-old falling off Disney cruise ship, dad rescuing her

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Documents released this week revealed what led to a 5-year-old girl falling off a Disney cruise ship and her father jumping off to rescue her in June.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office said the family was aboard the Disney Dream on June 29 when the incident occurred. According to documents, the family stopped to take a photo on Deck 4.

The 5-year-old climbed onto a porthole and sat down on a railing while facing her mom. The documents said the girl lost her balance and fell backward into the water, about 49 feet below.

The girl's father told investigators that he did not see his daughter fall; however, he heard her scream and saw her in the water.

Investigators said the girl did not trigger the ship's man overboard sensors when she fell into the water because she was so small.

Video surveillance footage showed the girl's parents panicking and attempting to get assistance from crew members. Shortly after, the girl's father jumped overboard in an attempt to rescue her, the documents said.

The ship's "man overboard" protocol was then initiated, and the United States Coast Guard was notified.

A rescue boat was launched and recovered the girl and her father from the water after about 20 minutes.

The father and daughter were then taken to the ship's medical center and remained there until the ship was docked. Then, they were taken to a hospital.

Documents said that the girl suffered no injuries, but her father had two spinal fractures.

According to the report, the mother "initially did not believe her daughter had fallen into the ocean, as she assumed a glass barrier was present. Once she realized her daughter was in the water, she screamed" for help.

Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly decided not to press charges against the mother.

"The Defendant believed that there was some sort of protective barrier between the railing and the water. She was innocently capturing a photograph of her daughter when the incident occurred," Kelly wrote in the memo. "This was an isolated incident, and all evidence shows that it was merely accidental. The Defendant was supervising the victim, and while her conduct of allowing her child to sit on the railing was negligent, it does not rise to a standard of culpable negligence or utter disregard for the safety of her child."