Young girl, dad rescued after falling overboard from Disney cruise: Passengers

The passengers who spoke to NBC News praised the crew for their fast response and quick thinking.

A young girl and her father were rescued after going overboard from a Disney cruise on Sunday, according to passengers who spoke to NBC News.

The girl, whose age was not immediately known, fell from the fourth floor deck of the ship despite the plexiglass safety barriers, the TODAY show reported.

One witness described the “horrific" scene, saying the child fell from a railing.

"She was sitting on the rail, and he wanted to take a picture, and she fell off," Gar Frantz said. "We were just on that deck. And then you saw them throwing, like, life jackets over the sides and stuff.”

Another passenger, Damali Hepburn, said she was told by a crew member that her father jumped in after her.

"We spoke to one of the crew members, and she said that the little girl was in the area she wasn’t supposed to be in, and she fell," Hepburn said. "And her father jumped in after her. And the mother said there was one person in the water, but there were two people in the water. So that’s why they had to turn around and and go back for him."

Gail Merrick recalled a commotion.

"We noticed a bunch of staff running outside and we thought there was some type of emergency," she said. "We were watching, you know, with bated breath basically, waiting for what would happen. We saw the rescue boat circling around. Our boat did turn around, so we did do a U-turn."

In a statement, Disney Cruise Line said that "the Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water."

They did not confirm their names, ages or what caused the fall.

The ship docked at Port Everglades, Florida, on Monday morning after setting sail for the Bahamas on June 26, according to CruiseMapper.

Several passengers aboard the ship praised the crew for their fast response and quick thinking.

"It was really fast, the boat moved into action right away, and thankfully it was a positive outcome," Merrick said. "Such a sigh of relief, I mean it's a parent's biggest nightmare."

Others said they heard an announcement from the ship's command that the rescue efforts worked.

"The captain announced it and said thankfully everybody was good," Jeanie Mikanowicz said.

The statement from Disney Cruise Line went on to say: "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. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols."

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.