A young child, aged five, tumbled 50 feet from a Disney Cruise ship after being directed to stand near an open porthole, as per officials. The incident occurred while the girl, accompanied by her parents, was onboard the Disney Dream cruise vessel. Despite initial false claims suggesting the father had lifted her onto the railing for a photo, Florida authorities now state that the girl fell into the sea after being asked to pose by her mother.
Following the girl’s fall, a distress call was made, and a rescue boat was swiftly dispatched within three minutes. Fortunately, the child escaped major injuries, while her father received medical attention for an unspecified matter. Although there were initial recommendations for criminal charges against the mother, the incident on June 29 was deemed not to constitute “criminal culpable negligence,” leading to the decision by Florida’s state attorney not to pursue prosecution.
State attorney Melissa Kelly stated on September 16 that while the mother’s behavior could be viewed as negligent and irresponsible, it did not meet the necessary threshold for criminal negligence charges. The case was closed after both parents provided consistent accounts that aligned with security camera footage.
The mother reportedly admitted to taking several photos of her daughter near the ship’s railings during the trip. In a police report, she mentioned feeling that the windows should have protective coverings and placing responsibility on Disney for the incident. The Mirror has reached out to Disney Cruises for their input on the matter.