Dozens of cruise ship passengers found themselves adrift in the sea when the catamaran they were using on a day trip suddenly sank.
The small vessel was transporting passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship on a journey to the Dominican Republic. The 12-meter boat, known as Boca de Yuma, quickly went underwater, forcing the 55 individuals on board to leap into the water.
The group outing turned into a frightening ordeal as vacationers were spotted floating in the sunny waters of the bay of Samana before being rescued by the Dominican Navy. The nationalities of the passengers on the excursion remain unknown.
Video footage captured sailors throwing lifebuoys to the distressed travelers and pulling them to safety. A fragment of the catamaran was visible before it disappeared beneath the waves. Local residents from El Crucero also assisted in the rescue efforts.
While everyone was successfully rescued from the sea, one passenger informed RTL that the cruise staff failed to provide adequate assistance to the “scared” passengers. They expressed disappointment, stating that their cruise offered no help or awareness of the incident.
The port authority stated that the Dominican Republic Navy is collaborating with local authorities to identify those accountable and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
TUI Cruises, the operator of the cruise originating from La Romana, confirmed that they are working with the excursion provider and authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.
A spokesperson mentioned that the passengers were on an externally operated boat, which sank during the outing. The company is actively communicating with the provider and local authorities to clarify the situation.
All passengers safely returned to the German cruiser Mein Schiff 1 after the incident on Sunday. The cruise ship, capable of accommodating 4,000 guests, resumed its voyage as planned, heading towards its next stop in Jamaica.