Father Jumps Into Sea to Save Daughter Who Fell Overboard from the Disney Dream Ship — Video #18

On June 29, 2025, a scary moment ensued aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. En route from Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point to Fort Lauderdale after a four-night Bahamian sail, a girl fell overboard into the sea, prompting her dad to jump in and rescue her. Video footage and details captured of the moment have sparked divided reactions online.

What began as a day of enchantment aboard the Disney Dream took a sudden and terrifying turn as the cruise liner made its return.

On Sunday morning, an emergency alert rang out, “Mr. M.O.B.” — the maritime signal for “man overboard.” The announcement sent a wave of panic through passengers as the dreamlike voyage instantly shifted into crisis mode.

Accounts from those onboard began surfacing shortly after the incident, with multiple passengers confirming that a child had fallen overboard despite the extensive safety measures in place on Disney Cruise Line ships.

In a heart-stopping moment, the little girl’s father reportedly dove in after her without hesitation, disappearing into the vast expanse of ocean beneath the moving vessel. Social media quickly lit up with firsthand reports.

One passenger, Dewayne Smith, took to Facebook to describe what he had seen. “We are on the Disney Dream at sea today and just witnessed a first on a cruise,” he wrote. “Man overboard calls went up immediately. The Disney crew went into action asap. Lots of praying folks on this ship! Both the little girl and dad were both [sic] successfully rescued.”

The cruise line later confirmed the incident in a statement shared with TheStreet. “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,” a spokesperson stated.

“We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”

Given the safety measures put in place, such as the installation of plexiglass barriers along the ship’s railings, many were left in disbelief over how such an accident could occur. Nevertheless, passengers commenting in a Reddit thread indicated that the child had fallen from Deck 4, a lower-level area designed with a walking and jogging track.

Still, the exact circumstances of how the child managed to fall remain unknown. What is clear, however, is that her father was nearby — close enough to leap in right after her, without pausing to weigh the danger.

Another Disney Dream guest, posting under the username metzd87, provided additional insight. “Not docked! Halfway between Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale! Fully moving [sic]!” the passenger explained.

“Heard in our rooms ‘Mr. M.O.B port side.’ Ran to the 11th deck to see them throwing life preservers. 10ish minutes later a lifeboat drops and they find the people within 3-5 minutes of that. The man treaded water for at least 20 minutes [sic].”

Given the challenges of executing such a rescue from a moving ship, the successful recovery of both the girl and her father has been described as nothing short of extraordinary. Behind the scenes, the crew’s rigorous training played a vital role — Disney Cruise Line mandates frequent drills and simulations precisely for emergencies like this.

In this case, that preparation proved life-saving, turning a moment of chaos into a remarkable demonstration of calm, coordinated action at sea.

As word of the incident spread through the ship, one passenger, a woman named Chandler, captured footage of the rescue. The video — shared on TikTok — offers a rare real-time glimpse into a moment that no one on board will likely ever forget.

According to Chandler, the chaos began with what she described as “some kind of commotion” followed by a piercing scream — presumably from the child’s mother.

“And then this massive splash,” she recalled in an interview with People. “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool, it was so loud.” The noise was so jarring that Chandler and her family rushed to the balcony to see what was happening.

Within seconds, they spotted flotation devices being hurled into the ocean. The ship was in open waters between Nassau and Grand Bahama Island at the time — nowhere near a port, which made the urgency of the situation all the more grave.

After Chandler heard the emergency code “MOB [Man overboard] port side” broadcast over the loudspeaker, more flotation gear was tossed down from above. Within moments, a rescue crew of four launched from the ship into a bright yellow speedboat, quickly making their way toward the figures in the sea.

In the video, the yellow boat can be seen racing through the waves toward the pair, both still afloat but visibly far from the vessel. One frame shows the child being lifted onto the boat, followed by her father.

As they were brought aboard, applause erupted from passengers watching from above. Chandler said the screams began around 11:15 a.m., and both the girl and her father were safely pulled from the water by 11:47 a.m.

“I didn’t think they’d find them,” she admitted. “I had to tell my own 9-year-old daughter Harper they were probably gone [because] they usually can’t find people who fall.”

After the rescue, the ship’s captain addressed the guests directly over the intercom, confirming that two passengers had fallen overboard but had been recovered safely. He also emphasized the importance of observing safety protocols for the remainder of the voyage.

As footage of the rescue circulated, online reactions came in waves — a mixture of praise, shock, and harsh judgment. A netizen remarked, “That dad is a hero. His heart fell overboard and he went an [sic] got it back.”

Another person was visibly shaken by the events, commenting, “Omg I got goosebumps 😭 how terrifying and how he was able to keep her with him 😭 [sic].”

But not all responses were sympathetic. Criticism surfaced as well, particularly surrounding the circumstances that led to the fall. “Can’t be a hero in a dangerous situation you created,” one person opined.

Someone else echoed a similar sentiment, “It’s literally the same thing as sitting your child on a train track with an oncoming train or in the middle of an active interstate or on the rail of a high rise. He needs to go to jail because this was endangerment of the highest level.”

Others struck a more compassionate tone, urging the public not to rush to judgment. “He knows he did wrong!. [sic] Please don’t make him feel worse than he feels. I’m sure his wife is giving him hell for the mistake he made,” one commenter pleaded.

Another added that the terrifying experience was “punishment enough.” On the other hand, one observer noted, “He would’ve got a murder charge.”

While opinions remained divided, most agreed the incident serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly things can go wrong — and how deep a parent’s love can run when every second counts. The widely-discussed incident comes days after the occurrence of a different life-saving story that, unfortunately, had a more harrowing ending.

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, 28-year-old Khaled Elgamal set out on a hike along the Bow Glacier Falls trail in Banff National Park, a scenic nine-kilometer route. Partway through the hike, a slab of the mountainside suddenly collapsed, sending a torrent of rocks crashing down onto the path.

He had been on vacation with his roommate, Hamza Benhilal, 33, and a third friend. While the third friend stayed behind at the hotel, Elgamal and Benhilal drove to the falls after a hotel worker recommended it as a quieter alternative to Lake Louise. “We didn’t even have it on our bucket list for that day,” Elgamal said.

The two had taken photos by the lake and begun their hike when they heard what sounded like a thunderclap. A large boulder fell, hit the ground, and exploded into pieces. Benhilal was walking ahead when he turned and shouted at Elgamal to run. “He saved me by screaming,” Elgamal recalled. “I froze like a deer in headlights.”

Benhilal, who had been walking ahead, turned and shouted a warning. “He did scream out loud telling me to run, run, run. And that’s what helped me get back on to my senses and start running, because I was in shock. It seemed like a movie scene, just seeing rocks coming from the side [sic],” he shared.

Elgamal tried to flee, but rocks struck his legs and knocked him to the ground. He covered his head with his arms as stones rained down, causing him to black out repeatedly. When the slide ended, he managed to get up despite serious injuries.

He was bleeding heavily, disoriented, and vomiting as he made his way down the mountain, slipping on wet stones along the way. At the bottom, other hikers rushed to help, covering him with jackets and urging him to lie down and breathe.

“I was soaked in blood and barely managing myself,” Elgamal said. “It was the most painful experience I’ve had.” Once safe, he kept asking where his friend was, but no one could find Benhilal. He later learned that his roommate had been buried under the rubble.

Elgamal and Benhilal had become close friends after meeting in an online MBA program in 2022. At the time, Elgamal was living in Egypt, and Benhilal in Morocco. They both relocated to British Columbia that same year and became housemates in Surrey.

Elgamal now works as a financial adviser, and Benhilal was a network engineer based in Burnaby. “He was my friend but also like my big brother,” Elgamal said. Their friendship extended beyond everyday companionship.

“He was a very, very generous and a very nice person. The person that whenever you are even [sic] in trouble, you would go on to talk to him because he had this wisdom,” Elgamal said. “I would reach out to him whenever I was in need of advice.”

Benhilal’s body was recovered a day after the rockslide. Another hiker, Jutta Hinrichs, a 70-year-old retired university professor from Calgary, also died in the incident. Parks Canada said the rockslide was caused by natural geological forces typical of mountainous regions and could not have been anticipated or prevented.