Disney cruise guest details overboard rescue

A father and daughter were rescued from the water after the child fell overboard and the father jumped in after her on a Disney Cruise.
A passenger witnessed the rescue and commended the crew’s quick response.
Disney Cruise Line confirmed the rescue and highlighted their safety protocols.

Jenn Young was in her Disney Cruise Line cabin with her mother when they heard an announcement about an “M.O.B.” on Sunday.

“My mom and I looked at (each other) and were like, ‘That’s got to be bad’ because they made an announcement in our stateroom,” Young, 42, told USA TODAY. “And we Googled what M.O.B. meant.”

When they learned it stood for “man overboard,” the pair, who were on vacation with Young’s two daughters, husband and other family members, ran out on their balcony on the Disney Dream. Young saw crew members “scurrying” up and down the side of the ship and three orange rings being tossed into the water, and the vessel started turning.

The ship sent out a rescue boat, she said, and as it returned, the Hinckley, Ohio resident, saw a child and a man onboard, pumping his arm up and down mouthing, “We’re all OK.”

The father and daughter were rescued after she fell in and he jumped in after her.

“I mean, it just brought me to tears to see both of them on there, sitting up, moving, conscious, and trying to tell everybody that they’re okay,” said Young.

“The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson previously told USA TODAY in a statement. “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.”

Disney did not have additional details to share.

Do cruise lines have overboard detection systems?

Disney cruise ships are all equipped with overboard detection systems, which can help cut down response times by notifying crew members. At least one such system developed for vessels or other maritime structures uses thermal cameras and micro radars to detect those kinds of incidents.

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 requires passenger vessels sailing in the U.S. to “integrate technology that can be used for capturing images of passengers or detecting passengers who have fallen overboard, to the extent that such technology is available.”

Brian Salerno, then senior vice president of global maritime policy for Cruise Lines International Association, told USA TODAY in 2023 that there weren’t reliable products of that type available when the CVSSA was passed. In the years since, a number of companies have worked to create more dependable technology.

Salerno said at the time that a number of cruise ships had installed the systems, but many operators have not disclosed that information publicly.

Young, who has taken cruises before, said the incident isn’t likely to deter her in the future. “I feel like Disney did a great job,” she said. “I feel like they have great safety precautions in place.”

This story was updated to add new information.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.