CNN
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A cruise line statement said 17 migrants boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on Saturday after encountering a small vessel adrift on its way to the Bahamas.
A Royal Caribbean official said the Liberty of the Seas encountered a small vessel adrift and in need of assistance while en route to the Bahamas.
“The ship’s crew immediately commenced a rescue operation and safely brought 17 people aboard. The crew provided them with medical attention and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard,” the statement said. I’m here.
RacQuelle Major-Holland, a passenger on the cruise liner, told CNN that the captain announced that the small boat was diverting to Nassau to see if it needed help.
“He shared that he appeared to be on board and referred to maritime law that ships must check in and rescue if necessary,” Maj. Holland said Monday.
She said the small boat was hard to see at first, but within about 45 minutes of the announcement, people were boarding the Liberty of the Seas.
Major Holland, a travel blogger from Pickerington, Ohio, said, “People on the boat were waving…they were smiling and happy to be rescued.
Video recorded by Major-Holland It shows a boat approaching a ship. In her little boat she has only a few oars and a piece of ragged green cloth that looks like a makeshift flagpole.
Authorities did not specify the country of origin of those on the boat, but the rescue took place during a surge in Cubans and Haitians. going to america.
It is not uncommon for cruise ships sailing near Florida to come across immigrant ships. But a recent string of rescue operations and social posts about them on his media have brought renewed attention to the dramatic moments at sea and the immigration crisis behind them.
The small boat in this case was in Bahamian waters and the crew reported that another vessel was also sailing, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard District 7 told CNN.
Due to the vessel’s location, Bahamian authorities are leading an investigation with the assistance of the Coast Guard.
CNN has reached out to the Bahamas Defense Force for additional information.
