Latest news with #Coleman-Wright
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Girl who went overboard on Disney Dream cruise fell 'backward through a porthole'
Authorities are investigating the incident after a father and daughter were rescued after going overboard on a Disney Cruise ship over the weekend. "Broward Sheriff's Office detectives continue to investigate the moments before a 5-year-old girl lost her balance while sitting on a railing and (fell) backward through a porthole," public information officer Veda Coleman-Wright told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. Both guests were medically evaluated, and the father was hospitalized after disembarking. Here's what we know. The girl went overboard from Deck 4 on Sunday, June 29, as the Disney Dream was heading back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from The Bahamas. The child's fall occurred around 11:30 a.m. "After the girl's mother alerted her husband, who didn't see the incident, he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter," Coleman-Wright said. "BSO detectives said after the 37-year-old father found his daughter, he treaded water until they were rescued by a tender that was launched from the ship." Jenn Young, a passenger on the cruise, previously told USA TODAY she recalled hearing an M.O.B. ('man overboard') announcement in her stateroom, seeing crew 'scurrying' on the ship and tossing orange rings into the water, and the ship turning. After the boat went out to rescue the passengers, Young said they were 'sitting up, moving, conscious, and trying to tell everybody that they're OK' on the way back. BSO investigators said roughly 20 minutes passed between the child's fall and the pair's rescue, according to Coleman-Wright. Detectives reviewed security footage from the ship, which matched the family and crew members' statements. "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,' a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson told USA TODAY on Sunday. Authorities are withholding other identifying information about the passengers and details of the father's injury out of consideration "for the family's continued privacy," Coleman-Wright added. 'Brought me to tears': Disney cruise passenger details rescue of two fellow guests Investigators are still piecing together the details of what happened. It's unclear whether the findings will impact future sailings, but Disney Cruise Line said, 'We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.' Cruise goers have applauded crew members' rapid response. This story was updated to fix a typo and add new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we know of rescue of child who fell through a porthole on cruise
Sydney Morning Herald
01-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Father and girl, 5, pulled from water after going overboard on Disney cruise ship
'We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols,' the statement said. Coleman-Wright said detectives will seek answers about how the child went overboard. The Broward Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for Port Everglades, where the ship arrived Monday morning. 'This family is so blessed,' Coleman-Wright said. 'It's great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome.' Guests who watched the scene unfold Sunday appeared shocked to realise two people – and especially a child – had gone over the ship's railings. One video posted on TikTok shows a small vessel leave from the ship, which can carry 4000 passengers. The smaller boat can be seen approaching two small dots bobbing in the water. 'I can't tell, it looks like there are two heads,' says the person shooting the video. Shortly after, as the people get pulled into the rescue boat, she says: 'Is it a kid? Is it a kid and an adult? It's a kid and adult! How does that happen?' People start cheering. As the boat returns to the ship, the man can be seen pumping his fist as people applaud. The image of the girl, sitting on a woman's lap, is blurred out. In the caption, the person who posted the video said their family was in their room when they heard an announcement of 'Mr. MOB' for 'man overboard.' The man kept the child afloat for at least 20 minutes, the TikTok user wrote in the caption. 'We witnessed nothing short of a miracle,' the user wrote. In a video shot from another angle, people cheer as the small boat approaches the people in the water. Lawyer Michael Winkleman, who represents people suing cruise lines for injury or wrongful death, said the fall must have happened from a low deck. 'If it were a higher deck, the chances for survival are infinitesimally smaller,' he said. The father and child on the Disney Dream were 'very lucky', Winkleman said, because the ship was able to put their rescue plan into action right away. He said a significant number of overboard cases involve people who have overconsumed alcohol or jumped intentionally, and sometimes those falls have no witnesses. A rescue at night would have been more difficult as well, he said. 'That's literally like finding a needle in a haystack,' Winkleman said. Loading He said he was not aware of cases of multiple people going overboard, especially not a child followed by an adult. He discussed the case with colleagues who have been in the business for more than 50 years. 'Unprecedented,' he said.
The Age
01-07-2025
- The Age
Father and girl, 5, pulled from water after going overboard on Disney cruise ship
'We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols,' the statement said. Coleman-Wright said detectives will seek answers about how the child went overboard. The Broward Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for Port Everglades, where the ship arrived Monday morning. 'This family is so blessed,' Coleman-Wright said. 'It's great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome.' Guests who watched the scene unfold Sunday appeared shocked to realise two people – and especially a child – had gone over the ship's railings. One video posted on TikTok shows a small vessel leave from the ship, which can carry 4000 passengers. The smaller boat can be seen approaching two small dots bobbing in the water. 'I can't tell, it looks like there are two heads,' says the person shooting the video. Shortly after, as the people get pulled into the rescue boat, she says: 'Is it a kid? Is it a kid and an adult? It's a kid and adult! How does that happen?' People start cheering. As the boat returns to the ship, the man can be seen pumping his fist as people applaud. The image of the girl, sitting on a woman's lap, is blurred out. In the caption, the person who posted the video said their family was in their room when they heard an announcement of 'Mr. MOB' for 'man overboard.' The man kept the child afloat for at least 20 minutes, the TikTok user wrote in the caption. 'We witnessed nothing short of a miracle,' the user wrote. In a video shot from another angle, people cheer as the small boat approaches the people in the water. Lawyer Michael Winkleman, who represents people suing cruise lines for injury or wrongful death, said the fall must have happened from a low deck. 'If it were a higher deck, the chances for survival are infinitesimally smaller,' he said. The father and child on the Disney Dream were 'very lucky', Winkleman said, because the ship was able to put their rescue plan into action right away. He said a significant number of overboard cases involve people who have overconsumed alcohol or jumped intentionally, and sometimes those falls have no witnesses. A rescue at night would have been more difficult as well, he said. 'That's literally like finding a needle in a haystack,' Winkleman said. Loading He said he was not aware of cases of multiple people going overboard, especially not a child followed by an adult. He discussed the case with colleagues who have been in the business for more than 50 years. 'Unprecedented,' he said.
