On the evening of Sunday, September 28, the cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas operated by Royal Caribbean International rescued a group of ten people drifting on an open raft in the western Caribbean Sea between Cuba and Mexico.
According to eyewitnesses, the people on the raft likely used flashlights to attract the attention of the bridge crew of the 302-meter vessel, which has a gross tonnage of 82,900, while it was en route to Costa Maya, Mexico.
The cruise ship stopped to investigate the situation and lowered one of its tenders to carry out the rescue. All of the individuals were safely brought onboard, where they received necessary assistance and care.
Remarkably, the liner happened to be in the area due to a route change: originally scheduled to sail from Tampa to the Bahamas, the ship was redirected to Costa Maya and Cozumel because of an intensifying tropical storm.
In such situations, cruise ship crews typically provide survivors with clean clothing, food, and water, as well as urgent medical aid if needed, while notifying local authorities. Survivors are often disembarked at the next port of call for repatriation.
