Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship Mardi Gras rescued 16 people from a small vessel in distress on Friday morning. The boat was stranded in rough seas near Cuba, and all passengers were brought onto the cruise ship for their safety.
Mardi Gras Rescues Small Boat Near Cuba
The rescue occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday morning, June 3, 2022, in open waters north of Cuba. The small boat with 16 people aboard was spotted, and Mardi Gras stopped to assist.
All 16 people were safely brought aboard the cruise ship, though no further information is available about their condition or possible injuries.
The sea was rough at the time, which contributed to the small vessel’s distress. The weather conditions are currently being impacted by a sub-tropical system that is projected to develop into a tropical storm this weekend, the first such storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
“The U.S. Coast Guard and all other appropriate authorities have been notified,” Carnival Cruise Line stated in a brief press release about the incident.
The 181,808-gross-ton Mardi Gras is currently sailing a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary that departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday, May 28. The ship has already visited Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan on this sailing.
Friday is a day at sea as the ship makes it way back toward Port Canaveral, with the arrival in her homeport anticipated to be on schedule on Saturday, June 4.
No further details of the incident have been reported.
Cruise Ship Rescues Common
Cruise ships regularly assist in similar rescues, both for stranded mariners as well as refugees.
Carnival Magic rescued a mariner from a disabled sailboat on April 22, 69 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral, while in February, Celebrity Apex rescued three Cuban refugees from a small raft.
When rescues are made, the individuals brought onto the cruise ship are given food, water, shelter, and immediate medical care.
The proper authorities are subsequently notified so arrangements can be made for the individuals to be moved to appropriate facilities for the situation.
