Celebrity Cruise captain Kate McCue explained how her team was able to rescue a small boat of 19 migrants off the coast of Florida this week in a video posted on social media.
She said the ship’s lead officer, Nikos, “noticed a glow on the horizon” and discovered it was an organization of other people who appeared to be in danger.
“We were traveling at 15 knots, so I turned around with the shipment for a reciprocal trip while we pooled all our resources,” McCue said in the video. “Due to poor sea conditions, I needed to maneuver the shipment to provide an advance so we can safely carry the ship along the ship.
Once the team secured the smaller boat to the starboard side of the cruise ship with a rope and the migrants disembarked safely, department staff helped provide medical assistance, food and water, hot blankets and spare clothing, according to the video. they also had the opportunity to call their families home, McCue added.
Maritime law requires all ships, including cruise ships, to provide assistance to passengers in distress, regardless of the circumstances. On Monday, a Carnival cruise ship also rescued a boat carrying five migrants 25 nautical miles northwest of Cuba.
“After rescuing the other five people adrift at sea, the dispatch team coordinated with U. S. Coast Guard officers. “He met with them near Key West,” a Carnival spokesperson told Insider in an emailed statement. “The shipment resumed its adventure with its planned itinerary. “unchanged and Carnival Celebration returned to Miami Tuesday morning after a week-long Caribbean cruise. “
Celebrity Cruises did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Florida has recently faced an influx of Cuban immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, with at least 500 migrants arriving on the state’s coast by boat over the past week, The Associated Press reported. Rick Ramsay, the local county sheriff, described the recent surge as “a massive migration crisis” that is overwhelming to have resources in rural areas.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman was one of thousands of passengers aboard the Celebrity cruise ship that sent Tuesday’s rescue mission, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“It makes you realize every day how blessed we are,” he told local media. “You have to be very desperate to put yourself in danger with the only hope of a better life. “
Do you have a story or recommendation to share?Email this journalist from a non-business address to htowey@insider. com.