Carnival Paradise rescues 27 people adrift at sea

[jimbo5544]

John just posted on his FB page.  I have never seen that many people rescued.  Coast Guard and others notified.  On their way to Roatan.  

[Frank12]

1 minute ago, jimbo5544 said:

John just posted on his FB page.  I have never seen that many people rescued.  Coast Guard and others notified.  On their way to Roatan.  

We rescued 16 or 17 on the Magic one time near Cuba.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Frank12 said:

We rescued 16 or 17 on the Magic one time near Cuba.

We have been on a couple of cruises where they did, 11 on the MG, but nothing close to this amount.

[caribsun]

Maybe they did not want to be rescued. 

[jimbo5544]

12 minutes ago, caribsun said:

Maybe they did not want to be rescued. 

There is a reason that an overloaded boat is out floating in the Caribbean Sea.  Nobody gets picked up that does not want to.  I have witness three of these.  In every case (and I am sure it was the case here) once spotted they were asked in they needed assistance.  It is a requirement, but I am sure our local expert could chime in.  

[Leli1310]

We are on this sailing and watched it unfold. They were in a tiny boat and were taking on water and fairly far from land. Pretty sure they were happy to be rescued since they were bailing water out of their tiny boat. There was also at least one child onboard too. 
 

 

Edited April 22 by Leli1310

[jimbo5544]

2 minutes ago, Leli1310 said:

We are on this sailing and watched it unfold. They were in a tiny boat and were taking on water and fairly far from land. Pretty sure they were happy to be rescued since they were bailing water out of their tiny boat. There was also at least one child onboard too. 
 

 

Thanks

[jimbo5544]

Chengkp75 care to comment?

 

[ninjacat123]

Where do the rescued people stay? Or does the Coast Guard (or some other official entity) take them to a land facility so they don't stay on ship? TIA!

[CruiseloverfromGA]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

Where do the rescued people stay? Or does the Coast Guard (or some other official entity) take them to a land facility so they don't stay on ship? TIA!

They stay in the buffet.

 

Just kidding.  They are either in the medical center or on a crew deck, usually under the supervision of the ships security team until the Coast Guard arrives.

[Butterbean1000]

John Heald said he was "gobsmacked " by the hateful and insensitive remarks made by some posters on his FB page. WTH is wrong with people??

[bstel]

It happens a lot, just this boat had more people than normal.

 

Here was a "rescue" we watched on January 8, 2023 on the Pride.  The people refused to come aboard, so the ship gave them food, water, lifejackets and a radio and sent them on their way.  I'm sure the ship also reported their location to the Coast Guard or Mexican authorities since it seemed they were heading west from Cuba to Mexico, based on where we ran across them.

 

As I learned later it is about 90 miles to FL Keys by heading North, and it is also 90 miles heading due West from Cuba to Mexico.  A lot of Cubans are trying the Mexico/Southern Border route vs the old Cuba to Keys route from the 90s due to changes in the old wet foot/dry foot immigration laws.

[chengkp75]

On 4/22/2024 at 7:52 AM, jimbo5544 said:

Chengkp75 care to comment?

 

Not sure what you'd like me to comment on.  While I don't do social media, or John Heald, I saw an article that he was getting some rather xenophobic posts about this rescue, with passengers complaining that it happened, or saying "leave them be, it was their choice".  Americans, as a nation of immigrants (nearly everyone's family started out somewhere else, mine came to the colonies in the early 1600's), really amaze me with their intolerance of others. 

[ohioNCLcruiser]

25 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Not sure what you'd like me to comment on.  While I don't do social media, or John Heald, I saw an article that he was getting some rather xenophobic posts about this rescue, with passengers complaining that it happened, or saying "leave them be, it was their choice".  Americans, as a nation of immigrants (nearly everyone's family started out somewhere else, mine came to the colonies in the early 1600's), really amaze me with their intolerance of others. 

On the Carnival Celebration in Feb we encountered this same thing and while 90% of people seemed supportative and empathetic towards these people, some people were disgusting with what they were saying. One was even a nurse saying terrible things how we should just leave them behind. 

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Not sure what you'd like me to comment on.  While I don't do social media, or John Heald, I saw an article that he was getting some rather xenophobic posts about this rescue, with passengers complaining that it happened, or saying "leave them be, it was their choice".  Americans, as a nation of immigrants (nearly everyone's family started out somewhere else, mine came to the colonies in the early 1600's), really amaze me with their intolerance of others. 

Sorry I was not more clear.  I was really looking for something on cruise line (or any sea farer vessels) responsibilities when finding adrift crafts at sea.  

Edited April 23 by jimbo5544

[chengkp75]

6 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Sorry I was not more clear.  I was really looking for something on cruise line (or any sea farer vessels) responsibilities when finding adrift crafts at sea.  

If the vessel is "in distress" in the cruise ship Captain's opinion, and that vessel is requesting aid, then the cruise ship has a responsibility to give aid.  Now, that responsibility is tempered by the cruise ship Captain's responsibility that giving that aid not endanger the ship, cargo, crew, passengers, or the environment.  In most cases, the Captain will notify the nation who has agreed to provide SAR responsibility to the area (like the USCG for most of the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea), and that government agency will advise the Captain on what measures should be taken (stand by and observe the vessel, take the people onboard the ship, etc), and what response the agency will provide (sending a cutter, or taking the people on a cutter at a later time, etc).  The Captain can then decide what he/she wants to do (the ISM convention gives the Captain "overriding authority" in making decisions that affect the safety of the ship, cargo, crew, passengers, and environment, meaning that neither the USCG nor the cruise line corporate officers can second guess that decision, especially if it conforms to all of the ISM mandated SMS (Safety Management System) that the cruise line has promulgated.

 

The limitations placed on giving aid that I mentioned above (not risking the safety of the rescuing vessel) is one of the things that laymen that "know" of the "requirement of the sea to give aid" have never heard of.  Frankly, I'm surprised at the photos posted above of a refugee boat being brought into a tender port with multiple people onboard.  More typical, from a vessel security standpoint is to send a rescue boat or lifeboat to the refugees boat (having instructed it to stand away from the ship), and bring the refugees back to the ship one at a time, for searching and identifying.  As John Heald noted, refugees are always under constant security watch while on the ship.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

If the vessel is "in distress" in the cruise ship Captain's opinion, and that vessel is requesting aid, then the cruise ship has a responsibility to give aid.  Now, that responsibility is tempered by the cruise ship Captain's responsibility that giving that aid not endanger the ship, cargo, crew, passengers, or the environment.  In most cases, the Captain will notify the nation who has agreed to provide SAR responsibility to the area (like the USCG for most of the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea), and that government agency will advise the Captain on what measures should be taken (stand by and observe the vessel, take the people onboard the ship, etc), and what response the agency will provide (sending a cutter, or taking the people on a cutter at a later time, etc).  The Captain can then decide what he/she wants to do (the ISM convention gives the Captain "overriding authority" in making decisions that affect the safety of the ship, cargo, crew, passengers, and environment, meaning that neither the USCG nor the cruise line corporate officers can second guess that decision, especially if it conforms to all of the ISM mandated SMS (Safety Management System) that the cruise line has promulgated.

 

The limitations placed on giving aid that I mentioned above (not risking the safety of the rescuing vessel) is one of the things that laymen that "know" of the "requirement of the sea to give aid" have never heard of.  Frankly, I'm surprised at the photos posted above of a refugee boat being brought into a tender port with multiple people onboard.  More typical, from a vessel security standpoint is to send a rescue boat or lifeboat to the refugees boat (having instructed it to stand away from the ship), and bring the refugees back to the ship one at a time, for searching and identifying.  As John Heald noted, refugees are always under constant security watch while on the ship.

As always, your expertise is appreciated.  

[Mike45LC]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Frankly, I'm surprised at the photos posted above of a refugee boat being brought into a tender port with multiple people onboard.  More typical, from a vessel security standpoint is to send a rescue boat or lifeboat to the refugees boat (having instructed it to stand away from the ship), and bring the refugees back to the ship one at a time, for searching and identifying.  As John Heald noted, refugees are always under constant security watch while on the ship.

This had struck me as a very dangerous move.  Bringing refugees on board one at a time, using life boats to ferry them to the mother ship, seems far more sensible.  Who knows what weapons might be hidden away in the foundering boat, ready to be used to attack the rescue ship?

 

I'm glad there seem to have been no adverse consequences.  

 

[nc762shooter]

14 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

This had struck me as a very dangerous move.  Bringing refugees on board one at a time, using life boats to ferry them to the mother ship, seems far more sensible.  Who knows what weapons might be hidden away in the foundering boat, ready to be used to attack the rescue ship?

 

I'm glad there seem to have been no adverse consequences.  

 

I was also surprised to see the rescue being performed in that manner, seems much riskier for all involved than sending out one of the ship's boats.