5-Year-Old Girl Who Fell from Disney Cruise Ship Was Not Placed on Railing by Dad, Sheriff Says

The father who saved his 5-year-old daughter after she fell overboard on a Disney Cruise did not place his child on the railing, as online rumors previously speculated.

On Sunday, June 29, the Disney Dream cruise ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. from a four-night cruise in the Bahamas when the little girl fell overboard from the ship’s fourth deck. Her father jumped in after her and both were subsequently pulled from the water and returned to the boat by a Disney rescue team.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE on Wednesday that the little girl was not being held by her father on the railing at the time of the fall. They acknowledged to CBS News that the information was “erroneously reported on some social media sites.”

The Sheriff’s Office applauded the rescue efforts. In a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday night, a representative wrote, “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,” the statement continued.

A passenger onboard the ship named Chandler, who asked to be identified only by her first name, recalled the events for PEOPLE. “There was some kind of commotion,” the passenger said. “Then this awful scream from what I assume is the mother and then this massive splash.”

Chandler noted the events occurred while traveling between Nassau and Grand Bahama Island: “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool, it was so loud.”

She and her family went to the balcony to get a better look and 15 seconds later, what appeared to be a life vest was dropped into the water. Over the loudspeaker the family heard someone call “MOB [Man overboard] port side,” and three more flotation devices were thrown in.

Within minutes, a crew of four dropped off the ship and into a rescue boat. Chandler’s TikTok footage shows rescue workers reaching the father and daughter, pulling them out of the water and safely bringing them back to the ship.

Chandler claimed that the incident began at 11:15 a.m. and the duo was pulled up at 11:47 a.m. local time.

“I didn’t think they’d find them,” she candidly told PEOPLE. “I had to tell my own 9-year-old daughter Harper they were probably gone [because] they usually can’t find people who fall.”

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“The crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water,” Disney Cruise Line said in a statement to PEOPLE. “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.”

They added: “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”