CNN
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Seventeen migrants have been taken onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Saturday after it encountered a small vessel adrift on its option to the Bahamas, in keeping with an announcement from the cruise line.
The Liberty of the Seas was crusing to the Bahamas when it encountered a small vessel adrift and in want of help, in keeping with Royal Caribbean officers.
“The ship’s crew instantly launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 17 individuals onboard. The crew offered them with medical consideration and is working carefully with the US Coast Guard,” the assertion stated.
RacQuelle Main-Holland, a passenger on the cruise liner, informed CNN the captain made an announcement their ship was diverting from its path to Nassau to see whether or not the small boat wanted assist.
“He shared there seemed to be individuals onboard and he talked about the maritime regulation that ships must examine in and rescue if wanted,” Main-Holland stated Monday.
She stated the small boat was laborious to see at first however inside about 45 minutes of the announcement, the individuals have been onboard the Liberty of the Seas.
“The people on the boat have been waving and … they have been smiling and pleased to be rescued,” stated Main-Holland, a journey blogger from Pickerington, Ohio.
Video that Main-Holland recorded reveals the boat getting nearer to the ship. The tiny craft has only a few oars and a chunk of tattered inexperienced material from what seems to be a makeshift flagpole.
Officers didn’t establish what nation the individuals within the boat have been from, however the rescue comes throughout a surge of Cubans and Haitians trying to make it to the US.
It isn’t new for cruise ships touring close to Florida to come back upon boats of migrants. However a collection of current rescues and social media posts about them have introduced a contemporary wave of consideration to those dramatic moments at sea and the migration disaster behind them.
The small boat on this case was in Bahamian waters and the individuals onboard reported there was one other vessel out as nicely, a spokesperson from the US Coast Guard District Seven informed CNN.
Due to the placement of the vessels, the Bahamian authorities are main the investigation with help from the Coast Guard.
CNN has reached out to the Bahamian Protection Power for added data.