Disney Cruise Child Who Went Overboard Was Sitting on Railing, Sheriff Says
Disney Cruise Investigation Little Girl Was Sitting on Rail ... When She Fell Overboard and Nearly Died
Published
The little girl who fell overboard on a recent Disney Dream cruise, prompting her father to dive in and save her ... was, in fact, sitting on a railing before the almost-tragic accident.
A rep for the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Florida tells TMZ ... the 5-year-old girl was sitting on a railing and lost her balance, then fell backward through a porthole -- and her father immediately jumped into the water after her.
Authorities estimate it was only 20 minutes between the child's fall and the successful rescue of father and daughter ... and the sheriff's office praised the Disney crew for their quick reaction and life-saving efforts.
As we reported ... the Disney Dream ship was forced to turn around Sunday as it cruised back to Fort Lauderdale from the Bahamas.
We now know that the dad was hospitalized with unknown injuries after the ship arrived at Port Everglades ... but overall, the girl and father are fine -- the sheriff's office noting, "This family is so blessed."
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are still piecing together what happened -- but the sheriff's office says ... detectives have reviewed the ship’s security video, which corroborates the statements from the family and cruise ship staff.
