Carnival cruise ship rescues 24 from distressed boat off Florida

The crew of a Carnival Cruise Line vessel came to the aid of the occupants of a small boat in distress in international waters off the Florida coast on Saturday, October 17.

Operating with only a skeleton crew and no passengers, the 261-metre Carnival Sensation was moored some 37 nautical miles off Palm Beach when lookouts spotted the smaller vessel struggling to stay afloat.

The cruise ship then sailed toward the distressed vessel to render assistance to the people on board.

In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line said the survivors were of various nationalities and included 22 adults and two children.

The castaways were provided with life jackets, food, water, and blankets. They were later brought aboard the cruise ship after their boat began taking on water and eventually sank.

Following the rescue, the 24 castaways were examined by Carnival Sensation‘s medical staff and then placed under quarantine separated from the ship’s crew.

Carnival added that the survivors have since been turned over to the US Coast Guard.