- The largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, rescued 14 individuals who had been stranded on a small boat for eight days.
- Passengers were enjoying the lunch buffet when they spotted a small boat with people waving a large white flag.
The Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, saved 14 people who had been stuck on a tiny boat for eight days, reports Marine Insight.
Rescue by the Icon of the Seas
Royal Caribbean issued a statement stating that on March 3, 2024, the Icon of the Seas saw a small boat adrift and in need of help. The crew members launched a rescue, bringing all 14 people onboard safely and providing medical attention.
One of the cruise ship guests, Alessandra Amodio, described the rescue she witnessed from the window of the lunch buffet. She mentioned that the people on the craft waved a white flag.
The cruise ship turned around and sent a zodiac-type boat to investigate. The detour and rescue took 2 hours. Everyone on the cruise ship was relieved to see the people rescued. Crew members took many trips to rescue everyone from the small boat.
It was the ship’s first full day of cruising. The 8-day vacation began in Miami, and the vessel was going to Honduras. When the rescue happened, the cruise ship was between Cozumel, Mexico and western Cuba, claimed Amodio.
Amodio said the crew broadcast ‘Code Oscar’ over the loudspeakers at around 3:00 p.m. Code Oscar is unique to Royal Caribbean. It is an emergency code used when someone falls overboard. Captains use it to signal instead of giving orders to prevent chaos onboard.
After that, the captain returned and announced that they had seen a distressed vessel and were turning around to investigate. After the rescue, the captain said that the people were saved after remaining at the mercy of the sea for eight days; however, it was not clear which country they were from.
The rescued people left the cruise ship the following day when it docked at Roatan in Honduras. Under maritime law, ships and crew have a moral and legal obligation to help save human life.
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Source: Marine Insight
