Is anyone on the Dream right now? How did a girl fall overboard?

[RedHead0186]

The Broward Sheriff's Office released the following statement on the incident:

"Based on media reports I have read, the Disney crew was well prepared. Clearly, their training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue. While there doesn't appear to be anything suspicious, Broward Sheriff's Office detectives are investigating the circumstances that led up to the child falling overboard. This family is so blessed. It's great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome. The incident involved a father and his 5-year-old daughter."

Ah, this is a newer statement than the one I had seen this morning, thanks.

 

[Mommb]

As far as I can tell, the only places where it's possible to fall off a railing and through a porthole on Deck 4 of the Dream are at the end of the ship (roughly 5:30 to 6:30 in this video:

). I wonder if DCL will add more signage in that area about the dangers of climbing.

 

[LAS2AMS]

As far as I can tell, the only places where it's possible to fall off a railing and through a porthole on Deck 4 of the Dream are at the end of the ship (roughly 5:30 to 6:30 in this video:

). I wonder if DCL will add more signage in that area about the dangers of climbing.

I suspect they’ll create some type of determent. Maybe seal the port hole off, make the railings higher, bring them in, etc.

 

[lanejudy]

Ah, this is a newer statement than the one I had seen this morning, thanks.

It certainly is not a conclusive report though. Sounds more like a preliminary “put-the-rumors-to-bed-but-we’ll-investigate” kind of statement.

 

[RedHead0186]

It certainly is not a conclusive report though. Sounds more like a preliminary “put-the-rumors-to-bed-but-we’ll-investigate” kind of statement.

I agree 100%.

 

[brentm77]

While the Daily Mail isn't the most reliable source, they are citing the Sheriff and reporting that:

• a) there is camera footage that corroborates the family's story,
• b) the father didn’t witness the fall and was alerted by the mother,
• c) the girl was reportedly sitting on the railing and fell backward "through a porthole,"
• d) it was the ships doctor holding the girl in the rescue boat; and
• e) the father sustained an unspecified injury and was later hospitalized.

One unusual detail came from another guest: "Shannon said the crew told her the area was often very windy, and a sudden gust could have caused the child to topple over the edge." Wind may have contributed but it’s not like the wind alone was strong enough to lift her from the deck and push her overboard.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-overboard-railing-photo-rumors-debunked.html

 

[irlandaise]

I suspect they’ll create some type of determent. Maybe seal the port hole off, make the railings higher, bring them in, etc.

The bars across those round windows look to be the same height as the railings on the open deck area. And yes, there's a little ledge below the windows, but the open railings have lower railings that someone could step onto just like the ledge. So I don't see a practical difference between the two areas in terms of safety.

 

[RedHead0186]

While the Daily Mail isn't the most reliable source, they are citing the Sheriff and reporting that:

• a) there is camera footage that corroborates the family's story,
• b) the father didn’t witness the fall and was alerted by the mother,
• c) the girl was reportedly sitting on the railing and fell backward "through a porthole,"
• d) it was the ships doctor holding the girl in the rescue boat; and
• e) the father sustained an unspecified injury and was later hospitalized.

One unusual detail came from another guest: "Shannon said the crew told her the area was often very windy, and a sudden gust could have caused the child to topple over the edge." Wind may have contributed but it’s not like the wind alone was strong enough to lift her from the deck and push her overboard.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-overboard-railing-photo-rumors-debunked.html

Interesting. Makes me wonder then about the eyewitnesses that claim they saw the father put the girl on the railing-this report would seem to indicate he wasn't even near the girl when she fell. I also don't recall seeing mention of a porthole before now (but it's been a bit hard to keep up, lol).

If it was the porthole area at the front of the ship, yes, it can get windy there. But, as you noted, wind alone wouldn't be enough to cause someone to go overboard. If someone was climbing/sitting on a railing, then maybe yes.

I still question this passenger that's sharing all these things the cast member told her. First, a CM told her they saw the girl climbing on the railing near the shuffleboards (but apparently the CM did not intervene when she saw the girl climbing?). Now, a CM (unclear if the same one or a different one) is telling her about wind and sudden gusts. It just seems like there's a lot of speculation here and some of it seems to contradict.

 

[LAS2AMS]

While the Daily Mail isn't the most reliable source, they are citing the Sheriff and reporting that:

• a) there is camera footage that corroborates the family's story,
• b) the father didn’t witness the fall and was alerted by the mother,
• c) the girl was reportedly sitting on the railing and fell backward "through a porthole,"
• d) it was the ships doctor holding the girl in the rescue boat; and
• e) the father sustained an unspecified injury and was later hospitalized.

One unusual detail came from another guest: "Shannon said the crew told her the area was often very windy, and a sudden gust could have caused the child to topple over the edge." Wind may have contributed but it’s not like the wind alone was strong enough to lift her from the deck and push her overboard.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-overboard-railing-photo-rumors-debunked.html

Unsurprisingly, this story contradicts one the Daily Mail posted this morning that was behind a paywall.

In 2011, a crew member on the Wonder went overboard as it was returning to Los Angeles. The official investigation determined it was a probable suicide. The Daily Mail, in conjunction with her parents (she was from the UK), conducted its own investigation and determine the circumstances around it were suspicious and it was doubtful it was a suicide… even though the person the crew member was in a relationship, as well as numerous other crew members, said she was suicidal. So yeah, take DM with some skepticism.

 

[apwenger]

Interesting. Makes me wonder then about the eyewitnesses that claim they saw the father put the girl on the railing-this report would seem to indicate he wasn't even near the girl when she fell. I also don't recall seeing mention of a porthole before now (but it's been a bit hard to keep up, lol).

If it was the porthole area at the front of the ship, yes, it can get windy there. But, as you noted, wind alone wouldn't be enough to cause someone to go overboard. If someone was climbing/sitting on a railing, then maybe yes.

I still question this passenger that's sharing all these things the cast member told her. First, a CM told her they saw the girl climbing on the railing near the shuffleboards (but apparently the CM did not intervene when she saw the girl climbing?). Now, a CM (unclear if the same one or a different one) is telling her about wind and sudden gusts. It just seems like there's a lot of speculation here and some of it seems to contradict.

I know this may come as a shock, but people … lie… especially on the internet. The automatic default to truth that people did on the forum is abhorrent. Once they heard a rumor from Reddit, which was also second hand and not from an eyewitness, they automatically crucified this father. Absolutely abhorrent behavior.

 

[RedHead0186]

I know this may come as a shock, but people … lie… especially on the internet. The automatic default to truth that people did on the forum is abhorrent. Once they heard a rumor from Reddit, which was also second hand and not from an eyewitness, they automatically crucified this father. Absolutely abhorrent behavior.

Not a shock at all, you're absolutely right, unfortunately. That's why I've been questioning the varying reports and trying not to rush to judgement until we hear some sort of official report.

 

[Lillebelle]

Prior to someone posting the picture of the 'porthole' part of the walking track, I was staunchly in the camp that there was no way this happened without adult involvement because I just don't see how any small kid could randomly climb onto the regular rails around Deck 4 due to the plexiglass and the height of the rails. Nothing to do with any particular rumors, just didn't seem physically possible.

Those portholes though -- I'd forgotten about those and now seeing the photo I remember being freaked out by them on a previous cruise. Even though they are, in theory, no more easy to fall out of than anywhere else on the ship, the fact that they are open below the level of the railing just weirded me out and I definitely gave them a wide berth. And looking at the photo, it does look like it would be fairly trivial to climb up onto that rail unassisted, and I can also imagine someone (especially a child) thinking they were somehow 'safer' to sit on because of the little ledge to support your feet and the illusion of enclosure that the porthole wall gives (like even if you know the hole part is open, it's like 'oh I could just hold onto the wall part if I needed').

So...now I'm in the camp that it could have been a kid being a kid, but I maintain that the kid had to have been doing something they shouldn't have been (again, no way they were just picked up by the wind and blown over that railing and out). Kids are kids and it's easy for them to do things quickly so who knows. Again, very glad for the happy ending here. Will be interesting to see if Disney changes those portholes at all.

 

[tom1944]

How did the father get to her. If he did not see her go over, he had to look for her first and then find a place where a grown male had access to jump over. If it was not in the area where she was in the water it would be extremely difficult to get to her.

 

[greeneyedchick]

As far as I can tell, the only places where it's possible to fall off a railing and through a porthole on Deck 4 of the Dream are at the end of the ship (roughly 5:30 to 6:30 in this video:

). I wonder if DCL will add more signage in that area about the dangers of climbing.

From looking at the posted video, it looks like a child could use the life ring hanging on the railing as a step to get to the top of the railing. It can be seen at the 37 second mark and it's right by the shuffleboard area.

 

[DCLMP]

It certainly is not a conclusive report though. Sounds more like a preliminary “put-the-rumors-to-bed-but-we’ll-investigate” kind of statement.

I read the report at is was an accident and thank God their both alive. Of course there is an investigation to see if Disney had any liability, or how it occurred, but as far as any criminality that seems to be put to rest. If it was anything more than that it would be a different kind of statement.

 

[DCLMP]

How did the father get to her. If he did not see her go over, he had to look for her first and then find a place where a grown male had access to jump over. If it was not in the area where she was in the water it would be extremely difficult to get to her.

If my kid fell over I'd leap over that railing like spider man, bad knee and all. Adrenaline is an amazing thing.

 

[TFM1980]

It is really weird that some people on here seem to want the parents to be at fault and are trying to discount info to the contrary (including statements from law enforcement and an actual picture of the portholes where the kid fell through that look totally like something a kid could climb on and fall through).



We can all agree now that the dad was a hero and the rush to judgement was ridiculous.

 

[FLPrincessMom]

The only issue is that they said she fell backwards. If she was climbing herself, she would have fallen out headfirst. I’m wondering if he sat her up there, turned around to back up to get a picture and that’s when she fell.

 

[Moonspinner]

I feel like regardless of everything, it is the parents’ fault. I’m not saying they are criminally liable— I have no idea on that. But as a parent you are supposed to be watching your kid 24/7. You can relax somewhat if you are in a safe environment. But you can’t play shuffleboard on a breezy cruise deck if you have young kids, I’d say 8 and under. We have VERY rambunctious kids, now almost all grown up, and for about 10-15 years we just couldn’t do anything. That’s what it means to be a parent. We never played shuffleboard on DCL while the kids were young. If our kids were out on open decks, we were standing next to them. I’m not exaggerating. And we’re not overbearing parents. And we’re not perfect parents. But there are some things you just can’t do if you have young kids. You just don’t get to play shuffleboard on a ship deck if you have a young kid. Being a parent is rough. That’s why so many people don’t have kids, because to be a good parent you give up a lot, huge blocks of your life where you put your kids first. We wouldn’t change it for anything, but it is only in the last three years that I’ve been able to take a breath. It’s great that the dad (assuming it is dad) went in after the girl, but a real hero wouldn’t have been in the situation to begin with. Just my opinion.

 

[mmouse37]

The bars across those round windows look to be the same height as the railings on the open deck area. And yes, there's a little ledge below the windows, but the open railings have lower railings that someone could step onto just like the ledge. So I don't see a practical difference between the two areas in terms of safety.

The railings on the open air part of Deck 4 do have rungs but they are covered by plexiglass on the side that faces the deck so you can't get a foothold on the railing so it not the same as that porthole pic

MJ