Mother Blamed for Daughter's Fall Off Cruise Ship
Newly released audio reveals the mother of a 5-year-old girl who fell from a Disney cruise ship into the ocean allegedly told authorities to charge the cruise line with child abuse, while investigators believed her actions were to blame.
The mother of a 5-year-old girl who plunged from a Disney cruise ship into the ocean has been identified as Michelle Sapp, an attorney whose actions investigators believe led to her daughter's fall. Newly released audio captures Sapp suggesting to law enforcement that the cruise entertainment giant should face child abuse charges.
Five-year-old Elliana was reportedly sitting on a railing of the Disney Dream when she fell. According to reports, Michelle Sapp told her daughter to climb onto the railing to pose for a photo. Despite this, Sapp allegedly shifted blame to the cruise line.
New audio obtained by the Daily Mail reveals Michelle Sapp's conversation with Broward County Sheriff's Office deputies. In the recording, Sapp suggests that Disney should be charged with child abuse. However, a deputy can be heard stating that the evidence indicated Sapp was to blame.
Photographs taken by police show that below the porthole railing, a steel wall forms a shelf approximately thigh-high. Above this shelf is the shorter railing. Investigators noted that this design makes it easy for a child to climb onto the shelf and then over the railing.
Elliana's father, Keegan Sapp, dived into the ocean approximately 45 seconds after his daughter's fall and held her above the waves until they were rescued. Both father and daughter sustained only minor injuries. The family, including Elliana and their youngest child, had been celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary on the cruise.