A vile rumour about how a five-year-old girl fell overboard from a Disney cruise ship and had to be saved by her dad has been shut down by police.
The child was at the centre of the dramatic rescue at about 11.30am on Sunday after toppling off the fourth deck of the Disney Dream.
The unnamed dad, 37, kept his daughter afloat for 20 minutes before they were rescued by the ship’s crew as the $900 million liner sailed from Fort Lauderdale from the Bahamas.
A baseless rumour then circulated that he had lifted her on top of a 42.5-inch (3.5ft) railing for a photo, and she fell backwards into the sea.
The claim was debunked by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday afternoon.
The girl was sitting on the railing and fell backwards through a porthole, but her dad did not put her there, Sheriff Gregory Tony explained.
He said: ‘After the girl’s mother alerted her husband, who didn’t see the incident, he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter.
‘BSO detectives said after the 37-year-old father found his daughter, he treaded water until they were rescued by a tender that was launched from the ship.’
Security video from the ship corroborated statements from the family and cruise staff about how the event unfolded, Sheriff Tony said.
The dad sustained an unspecified injury as he fought to save his daughter and was hospitalised after the ship returned to port.
‘The crew’s “man overboard” training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue,’ Sheriff Tony said.
‘BSO investigators said the total time from the child’s accidental fall to the rescue was about 20 minutes.
‘Once rescued, the father and daughter were checked out by the ship’s medical staff.’
Sheriff Tony said that detectives were still gathering details but were releasing the available details ‘in response to misinformation’.
‘This family is so blessed. It’s great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome,’ he said.
The incident has gone viral with a video shared on TikTok showing the dad treading water with the daughter in his arms, before handing her over to rescuers.
Passengers can be seen watching from the 3,500-capacity ship and cheering once they saw the pair were safe.
A Disney Cruise Line spokesperson told Metro: ‘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.’
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