Girl who went overboard from Disney cruise ship did not fall, cops say

Earlier this year, one father was deemed a hero when he jumped into the ocean to save his 5-year-old daughter, who fell 50 feet from the Disney Dream cruise ship into sea. Turns out, the entire situation stemmed from the mother posing her daughter in front of an open porthole for a picture. 

According to a new police report, which was viewed by The New York Post, the young girl lost her balance while standing in front of the porthole. 

She fell into the water at 11:29 a.m. on June 29, 2025, with her father jumping in after her 45 seconds later after realizing what happened. The police report added that the father said he couldn't initially find his daughter. Instead, he began screaming for her and followed her voice. 

He then treaded water for roughly 20 minutes, keeping his daughter's head above the water until help arrived around 11:50 a.m. He was surprised when they were rescued, as he expected a different, much more unfortunate outcome. 

Read more: Child goes overboard from Disney cruise ship; father jumps in to save her, reports claim

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Although her father was praised for his heroism, rumors quickly began circulating that he had been holding his daughter on a railing for a photo before she fell off the ship. 

"I’d imagine the parent must have been present and involved in whatever [led] up to this, seeing as how they were able to jump in immediately after the child," wrote one Redditor. 

Another added, "There's a post reply in the 'Disney Fantasy 2025-2026' Facebook group claiming exactly that. Dad put the kid on the railing to take pictures, kid fell. If true, wow."

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(Credit: cmd.91/TikTok)

Now, however, authorities claim that it was the mother's fault, as she encouraged her daughter to pose for a risky photography. 

As initially reported, the family was on Deck 4 when the incident occurred, but they weren't playing an innocent game of shuffleboard. 

According to the police police, the mom "offered for her daughter to take a picture in the porthole. [The mom] assumed the porthole had a window or flexiglass, and she thought that [her daughter] would be caught by the glass, but instead, she kept falling." 

Read more: Girl who went overboard from Disney cruise ship "was not being held" on the railing by father, reports say

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(Credit: metzd87/Reddit)

The mother later provided officers with a series of pictures that, "when streamed together...depict a seconds-long video of the child getting up on the railing and falling backwards into the water." 

Even still, she didn't take responsibility for the accident, claiming that Disney should have added more window coverings. 

"Upon looking at the window myself, as a prudent person, I immediately saw that the window was open to the air, and did not have a covering," wrote Detective Christopher Favitta in his report. 

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(Credit: noeayala32/TikTok)

"This act, facilitated by [the mother] placed the child in a life-threatening situation. As a result, the child fell from the ship and into the water, in an avoidable accident."

Favitta recommended that criminal charges be filed against the mother. However, Florida's state attorney declines to prosecute after finding that the incident did not equate to "criminal culpable negligence."

"While the defendant’s conduct is arguably negligent and irresponsible, it does not rise to the egregious level of conduct necessary to establish criminal culpable negligence," wrote Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly in an email.