Dozens of cruise ship passengers found themselves adrift in the sea when the catamaran they were on during a day trip unexpectedly sank.
The small vessel was transporting passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship to the Dominican Republic. The 12-meter boat, named Boca de Yuma, rapidly went under, forcing the 55 individuals aboard to leap into the water.
The group excursion took a frightening turn as vacationers were spotted floating in the sunny waters off the bay of Samana before being rescued by the Dominican Navy. The nationalities of the passengers on the day trip remain unknown.
Video footage captured sailors throwing life rings to the distressed travelers before bringing them to safety. A fragment of the catamaran was visible before it disappeared beneath the waves. Local residents from El Crucero also assisted in the rescue efforts.
Although everyone was saved from the sea, one passenger recounted to RTL that the cruise staff did not adequately assist the “frightened” passengers, stating, “My ship provided no help, nor were they informed about the incident.”
The port authority stated, “The Dominican Republic Navy is collaborating closely with local authorities to identify those accountable and take preventive actions to avoid a recurrence of such an event.”
TUI Cruises, the operator of the cruise that departed from La Romana, confirmed that they are coordinating with the excursion provider and authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.
A spokesperson mentioned that they were aboard an externally operated boat: “The excursion catamaran, provided by an external source, sank during the outing.” The company assured that they are actively communicating with the provider and local officials to clarify the situation.
All passengers safely returned to the German cruiser Mein Schiff 1 after Sunday’s ordeal. The cruise ship, capable of accommodating 4,000 guests, will resume its planned itinerary, with Jamaica being the next stop on its journey.
