Girl Who Fell from Disney Cruise Ship Was Encouraged By Mom To Take Photo In Open Porthole

A 5-year-old girl fell from the Disney Dream cruise ship on June 29th while her mother took photos of her sitting on a porthole railing, according to a Broward County Sheriff’s Office report. The child “climbed on the railing and sat down” before losing her balance and falling backward approximately 49 feet into the ocean at 11:29 a.m. Her father jumped in less than a minute later. Disney rescue crews retrieved both at 11:49 a.m. The father was hospitalized for injuries while the daughter was unharmed. The mother told police she “felt like there should be coverings on the windows, and cited that Disney is responsible for what had occurred.” Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly declined to prosecute, writing the conduct was “arguably negligent and irresponsible” but didn’t reach “the egregious level of conduct necessary to establish criminal culpable negligence.” (Story URL)