It's every parent's worst nightmare: A child falls overboard from a cruise ship while at sea.
It happened while a Disney Dream cruise ship was sailing back to Fort Lauderdale after a stint in the Bahamas on Sunday, June 29, according to The Street.
However, a quick-thinking dad leaped into action. He jumped into the water and rescued the girl, with the help of cruise ship workers, who quickly launched a boat, fellow passengers wrote on social media.
A man named Kevin Furuta explained what happened in a Facebook post. "On the last day of our Dream voyage and it is an at Sea Day. A girl fell overboard from the 4th deck & her dad went in after her. Right after the incident, we heard on the loudspeaker MOB Port side!! Thankfully the DCL rescue team was on it immediately and both were saved!" he wrote.
Another woman shared a photo in the comment thread and said that a boat pulled both the father and girl back to safety.
"I was also on this ship when it happened. I can’t speak highly enough of the Disney rescue crew. Follow the rules on the boat and you will be fine," wrote a woman named Breanne Elaine in the comment thread. "Thanking God for the miracle of both this child and her father being saved from the waters."
It turns out that there's an emergency code for when someone goes overboard a cruise ship, and it's Mr. M.O.B. That code was immediately broadcast, and ship workers reacted quickly to help the dad and the child, The Street reported. It's not clear how the child fell overboard, since there are railings and shields on cruise ships to prevent just that.
"The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water," a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson told USA Today. "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."