Florida Police issued an update over the dramatic sea rescue of a young girl who went overboard from a Disney cruise ship.
It praised the father amid online comments over reckless actions by him may have caused the overboard incident.
Police said the five year old girl was on a railing and fell backwards through a porthole.
“In response to numerous media inquiries and misinformation, I am sharing information regarding an incident involving a father who saved his daughter after she fell overboard,” said BSO Public Information Officer Veda Coleman-Wright.
“After the girl’s mother alerted her husband, who didn’t see the incident, he jumped into the ocean to save his daughter.”
They treaded water for around 20 minutes before a crew boat reached them and brought them back onto the ship.
The father was later hospitalized with an undisclosed injury.
Following the incident, there was a lot of online chatter speculating the father may have been reckless leading up to the fall.
“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,” police added.
“The little girl was not being held, as erroneously reported on some social media sites.”
“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.”
Due to the intense scrutiny, Broward Sheriff’s Office said it wouldn’t release their names or any other information, except that the family are from out of state.
