5-Year-Old Falls From Disney Dream; Alarm Missed

On June 29 aboard the Disney Dream returning to Fort Lauderdale from the Bahamas, a 5-year-old girl fell about 49–50 feet into the ocean after reportedly climbing onto a railing beneath an open porthole to pose for a photo. Her father immediately dove in after her, and his jump — not the child’s fall — triggered the ship’s man-overboard alarm; crew launched a rescue boat and recovered both within minutes. Both were treated for mild hypothermia and minor injuries; prosecutors later declined to file criminal charges after Broward County detectives had initially recommended negligence charges against the mother. Investigators said the child’s small body failed to activate the ship’s overboard-detection sensors, raising safety and regulatory concerns about current MOB systems and child-safety practices. The incident renewed calls for cruise lines and regulators to reassess man-overboard detection technology and passenger safety guidance.