Little girl falls overboard on Disney Cruise ship while posing for photo

A young girl fell through an open porthole on a Disney Cruise and plummeted 50ft (Image: AP)

A five year old girl who plummeted 50 feet from a Disney Cruise ship was asked to pose for a photo in front of an open porthole, according to authorities.

The little girl lost her footing while standing in front of the porthole as she and her parents were travelling on the Disney Dream cruise ship. She tumbled into the open sea, with her father diving in after her just 45 seconds later.

Unfounded rumours circulated shortly afterwards that the father had lifted her onto the railing for a photo. Florida authorities now claim the girl accidentally fell in after her mother asked her to pose next to the railing.

A mayday call was issued and a yellow rescue boat was launched three minutes after the girl plunged into the sea.

Miraculously, the girl suffered no serious injuries. Her father was later treated for an unspecified issue,

Criminal charges were suggested against the mother, but the incident on June 29 did not amount to "criminal culpable negligence". Consequently, Florida's state attorney declined to prosecute, reports the MirrorUS.

State attorney Melissa Kelly stated on September 16: "While the defendant's conduct is arguably negligent and irresponsible, it does not rise to the egregious level of conduct necessary to establish criminal culpable negligence."

A rescue boat was immediately launched to rescue the five-year-old (Image: Facebook/ Disney Dream Cruise Ship)

The Broward County sheriff interrogated the parents and they provided matching accounts that were consistent with the security camera footage. The case has since been closed.

The mother is alleged to have informed police that she captured several additional photographs of her daughter close to the railings throughout the voyage.

According to the police report: "She provided me with a picture of [the girl] laying in a porthole with a window on it."

The mother is alleged to have remarked "she felt like there should be coverings on the windows," and stated "Disney is responsible for what occurred."