The parents of the child who fell off a Disney Cruise Line ship this summer will not face child neglect charges.
According to WSVN, the mother of the 5-year-old girl who fell overboard was facing a possible child neglect charge. She was taking photos of her daughter on a railing when the child fell about 49 feet from the fourth deck of the Disney Dream. Her father jumped in after her and was able to tread water for 10 – 20 minutes before crew members rescued them.
The incident took place at about 11:30 a.m. on June 29, 2025, near Fort Lauderdale. The child fell backwards from a railing in an open porthole on the ship’s deck, as pictured above. The mother thought that there was a glass barrier in the porthole, similar to other areas of the ship where she had taken photos. She immediately called for help, alerting her husband who had been walking ahead and did not see the accident. He then jumped into the ocean.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office investigated the incident and stated the parents’ accounts matched security footage.
Prosecutors declined filing charges against the mother, determining her actions did not fall under “culpable negligence” and the incident was accidental and isolated.
The father and child were treated on the ship and then at Broward Health Medical Center. The father suffered hypothermia and two spinal fractures while the child was treated for mild hypothermia and minor lactic acidosis.
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Parents of Child Who Fell Off Disney Cruise Ship Will Not Face Neglect Charges
