Cruise Ship Makes Rescue off Florida

A cruise ship idling without passengers came to the aid of a small craft in distress in international waters 37 miles off the coast of Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday.

Upon seeing the boat in the water, the 855-foot Carnival Sensation maneuvered alongside the craft and provided blankets, life jackets, food and water to the 24 people on board, which included individuals from various nationalities and two children, operator Carnival Cruise Line said.

When the boat began taking on water, Carnival Sensation rescued all 24 individuals and brought them on board. They were evaluated by Carnival Sensation’s medical team and were quarantined away from crew members.

According to Carnival Cruise Line, all appropriate authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), were notified and the USCG dispatched a cutter to the scene to retrieve the 24 individuals.

The small boat, which reportedly originated from the Bahamas, later sunk.

Carnival Cruise Line is currently in a pause in its operations with ships at minimum non-operational manning status with limited crew members and no passengers on board.

The Mobile, Ala. homeported Carnival Sensation is among a number of cruise ships currently idled off the Bahamas.

(Photo: Carnival Cruise Line)