NEED TO KNOW
- A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued five people from a small boat off the coast of Cuba on Wednesday
- The Carnival Paradise conducted a rescue south of Cabo San Antonio, Cuba, on Wednesday, May 14, as it was traveling between Key West, Fla., and Jamaica
- “The five people who requested rescue were part of a larger group on board the small boat,” a representative for Carnival told PEOPLE. “The other occupants did not wish to join the ship but were given food and water by the ship’s team”
A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued five people from a small boat off the coast of Cuba last week.
The Carnival Paradise conducted a rescue south of Cabo San Antonio, Cuba, on Wednesday, May 14, as it was traveling between Key West, Fla., and Jamaica, a representative from the cruise line confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.
Officers on the ship spotted the small boat as it was “in distress” and helped five of the people on board, the representative added.
“The five people who requested rescue were part of a larger group on board the small boat,” the representative said. “The other occupants did not wish to join the ship but were given food and water by the ship’s team.”
Officers on the Paradise notified the U.S. Coast Guard after the rescue, the representative added. The cruise line did not confirm the identity of the five people or clarify what caused the distress.
PEOPLE reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Carnival Cruise Line
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A number of commercials ships have rescued people in distress on smaller vessels in the last several years. In January last year, two men stranded in the Gulf of Mexico were rescued by a Carnival Cruise Line ship.
The company announced in a press release at the time that staff on the Carnival Jubilee spotted the men off the coast of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The men became stranded in the open water after their boat sunk, causing them to rely on a kayak to stay afloat.
According to the press release, the ship’s team and the Carnival’s Fleet Operation Center staff in Miami contacted Mexican Navy officials to arrange a transfer, which was completed shortly after the rescue.
Additionally, in March 2024, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas — the largest cruise ship in the world — rescued 14 people who had been stranded at sea for over a week.
The ship was on its first full day of sailing and it was between Cozumel, Mexico, and western Cuba when the incident happened. The cruise liner had departed from Miami, Fla., and was set to make stops in Roatán, Honduras, and Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island, CocoCay, during its voyage.
Royal Caribbean told PEOPLE in a statement, “On March 3, 2024, Icon of the Seas encountered a small vessel adrift and in need of assistance. The ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people onboard. The crew provided them with medical attention, and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
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