Dozens of cruise ship passengers were left adrift at sea when the catamaran they were using for a day trip suddenly sank.
The small vessel was transporting passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship on their journey to the Dominican Republic. The 12-meter boat, known as Boca de Yuma, swiftly went under, forcing the 55 individuals onboard to leap into the water.
The group outing turned into a harrowing ordeal 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 excursion remain unknown.
Videos depict sailors throwing life rings to the distressed travelers before pulling them to safety. A portion of the catamaran was visible before it ultimately sank. Residents from the El Crucero community also assisted in the rescue efforts.
While all passengers were saved from the sea, one individual informed RTL that the “frightened” passengers received inadequate assistance from the cruise staff. They mentioned, “My ship didn’t offer any help or even had knowledge of the incident.”
The port authority stated, “The Dominican Republic Navy is collaborating closely with local officials to identify those accountable and implement measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.”
TUI Cruises, the operator of the cruise that set sail from La Romana, confirmed that representatives are cooperating with the excursion provider and the authorities to investigate the cause.
A spokesperson indicated that they were aboard an externally operated boat: “The excursion catamaran from an external provider sank during an excursion.” The company affirmed that they are in constant communication with the provider and local authorities to clarify the situation.
All passengers safely returned to the German cruiser Mein Schiff 1 following the incident on Sunday. The cruise ship, capable of accommodating 4,000 guests, will continue its scheduled voyage, with its next stop being Jamaica.
