MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK
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There are sadly more than a few stories concerning people who fell off of cruise ship and were never seen again. Thankfully, we were treated to a happy ending in the wake of an incident where a dad leapt into the Atlantic Ocean to save his daughter after she ended up in the water on a Disney excursion.
Tens of millions of people opt to take a vacation on cruise ships each year, and the idea of hopping on a boat to do some sightseeing while taking advantage of the many amenities offered you can find on those floating palaces is incredibly appealing to plenty of travelers in search of some rest and relaxation.
With that said, there are also more than a few people who’d refuse to go on one even if you paid them, including most of the thalassophobes who cower at the notion of willingly signing up to spend an extended period of time essentially stranded in the vast expanse of the world’s waters.
The fact that the booze tends to flow very freely on most cruises means the ships that host them are designed to minimize the risk of a passenger falling overboard, but those preventative measures are only so effective when you consider close to 20 people manage to tumble off of them in the average year (including one guy who spent close to a full day treading water before he was rescued in 2022).
Cruise operators have well-practiced protocols in place to ensure they won’t waste any valuable time when those incidents occur, and some crew members aboard a Disney ship that was making its way from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale recently got the chance to showcase them due to a scary situation that unfolded over the weekend.
According to The Street, travelers aboard the Disney Dream were heading back to Florida toward the end of the four-night trip that set sail on June 26th when a “Mr. M.O.B.” call that signifies a “man overboard” situation was triggered in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday.
The outlet says a girl managed to fall off Deck 4 of the ship before her dad jumped in after her, and he reportedly spent close to 20 minutes treading water before they were scooped up by the lifeboat that was swiftly dispatched to their location.
One woman who was aboard the cruise captured a video of rescuers being lowered into the water in a lifeboat before successfully retrieving the duo
@cmd.91 Today while on the Disney Dream, we witnessed nothing short of a miracle. We were in our stateroom when we heard “Mr MOB, Mr MOB, Mr MOB… port side”. My husband ran to the balcony because he understood that meant there was a man overboard. Immediately, my heart started racing and I began a constant prayer. Disney acted quick as they tossed out multiple life preserver rings and slowed the ship and began turning as they prepared the small boat to go out for a rescue. As we watched the whole thing go down and I zoomed in, I realized there wasn’t one… but two people in the water. We watched as the boat got to them and I was even more surprised when I saw them pull up a little girl (we heard she was only 5 years old) onto the boat. Followed by who we assume is her father. This man jumped in after her and helped her stay afloat for at least 20 minutes while the rescue team pulled off a rescue I will never forget. God was in this story from the beginning. It happened during the day, while we were cruising very slowly, in very calm seas. I’m so thankful both the man and little girl are safe. And for anyone who wants to judge how something like this happens, it can happen in the blink of an eye. There is zero judgement from me, just so much relief and praise. I cant imagine how exhausted and in shock both of these people are. If you do go on a cruise in the future and have a balcony, please don’t let your kids unattended outside and keep the furniture away from the edge. #disneydream #rescue #overboard #godisinthisstory #praise #cruise
♬ Goodness of God (Instrumental) – The Worship Initiative Instrumentals & The Worship Initiative
Another traveler captured the rescue vessel being lifted back up toward the ship, and while there may have been some emotional trauma involved, it appears they were both physically unharmed.
As you’d probably expect, Disney cruise ships are lined with plexiglass barriers specifically designed to keep younger travelers safe, and it’s currently unclear how the girl fell in the first place.
Content shared from brobible.com.