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Questions have been raised about how a five-year-old girl plunged from a Disney Cruise ship because it was sailing from Florida to the Bahamas.
Dramatic footage of the young girl and her father being rescued has been widely circulated, however the circumstances across the fall are still unclear.
Around 11 am on Sunday, the young girl fell from the fourth deck of the Disney Dream Cruise Ship, as shocked passengers watched on.
The girl’s father dived in after her, keeping her afloat until rescuers were capable of pull the 2 back to the boat.
There have been claims that the daddy lifted his daughter onto the railing for a photograph, before she fell backwards within the high winds – but this isn’t confirmed.
Others have said the teen was climbing the railing before the high winds pushed her off the boat.
Now, passengers have spoken in regards to the ordeal and what they saw unfold on deck.
Passenger Gar Frantz told the Each day Mail: ‘They said the dad lifted his daughter onto the railing and she or he fell off, then he jumped in straight after her.
‘People were screaming, “the child’s within the water, the child’s within the water”, after which they said, “and the dad jumped in”.’ I could see the fear of their eyes, and so they went to the sting of the boat, and I saw anything that floats get thrown off the side.’
Mr Frantz said it was hard to see the pair, so he thought they were dying.
One other passenger, Monica Shannon, claimed a crew member told her the girl climbed on the railings while her parents were playing shuffleboard, before the winds made her lose her balance.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office said they’re looking into the matter, but there doesn’t look like anything suspicious.
A rescue boat was quickly deployed to seek out the daddy and his daughter, who were discovered treading water together.
First-time cruise passenger Nikki Samsill Jackson told the Mail: ‘After they were rescued, dad had his arms around his child and he was treading water.
‘Everybody was cheering because you possibly can see them lift them into the boat, and so they had the child of their arms.’
In a press release, Disney Cruise Lines said: ‘The crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water. We commend our crew members for his or her exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the secure return of each guests to the ship inside minutes.
‘We’re committed to the security and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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