Dozens of cruise ship passengers found themselves adrift at sea when the catamaran they were on during a day trip suddenly sank. The incident occurred as the small boat was transporting passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship to the Dominican Republic. The 12-meter vessel, named Boca de Yuma, quickly went under, forcing the 55 individuals onboard to evacuate into the water.
The group’s excursion took a frightening turn as vacationers were spotted floating in the sunny waters over the bay of Samana until the Dominican Navy arrived for their rescue. The nationalities of the passengers involved in the outing remain unknown.
Video recordings captured crew members throwing life rings to the distressed travelers and assisting them to safety. Despite some visible remnants of the catamaran before it sank completely, locals from El Crucero also aided in the rescue efforts.
While all passengers were successfully rescued from the sea, one individual recounted feeling neglected by the cruise staff, stating that their ship provided no assistance or awareness of the situation.
In response to the incident, the port authority mentioned that the Dominican Republic Navy was collaborating with local authorities to identify those accountable and implement preventive measures.
TUI Cruises, the operator of the cruise that departed from La Romana, verified that discussions were ongoing with the excursion provider and authorities to investigate the cause of the sinking. A company spokeswoman confirmed that the passengers were on an externally operated boat that sank during the outing, and reassured ongoing cooperation with the authorities for further clarification.
Following the event on Sunday, all passengers safely returned to the German cruise ship Mein Schiff 1. The vessel, capable of accommodating 4,000 guests, resumed its scheduled journey with the next stop being Jamaica.
