Carnival ship rescues 9 people during Caribbean cruise
Crew aboard Carnival Mardi Gras helped save nine people after spotting a distress flag off Florida’s coast.
Nathan DillerA Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued nine people from a vessel in distress.
The incident occurred while Carnival Mardi Gras was sailing off the coast of Sebastian Inlet in Florida on May 16, according to the cruise line. Mardi Gras is currently sailing Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral, according to CruiseMapper.
“The ship’s crew spotted the vessel displaying a distress flag, notified the U.S. Coast Guard, and safely brought all nine adults aboard,” Carnival told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “They remained in the ship’s care until arrival in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday afternoon where they disembarked the vessel with Bahamian authorities.”
Coast Guard watchstanders “maintained communication with the cruise ship and coordinated with authorities in the Bahamas to facilitate the safe transfer of the nine individuals upon the ship’s arrival,” the Coast Guard Southeast District added.
The cruise line and the Coast Guard did not identify the people who were rescued.
The news comes after other similar incidents in recent months. Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess ship rescued four people from a small vessel in distress during a Caribbean cruise in February.
Earlier that month, Carnival Celebration responded to another small vessel in distress while on its way to Cozumel, Mexico and brought five people on board.
This story was updated to refresh headlines.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].