Photograph by passenger, Jeff Gilligan, of boat in distress
In February, we posted about the rescue of the three fishermen, drifting in the Pacific, by the cruise ship, Seaborne Odyssey. There are now reports of a similar story with a tragically different outcome. Passengers aboard the cruise ship, Star Princess, are claiming that the ship ignored a drifting boat in distress in the Pacific off the Galapagos, leaving two fisherman to die.
On March 10, three bird watchers, who were passengers aboard the ship, spotted a drifting boat with a man waving and alerted the cruise ship’s personnel. Reportedly, the ship confirmed the existence of the boat but did not stop to render aid. When the fishing boat was rescued over two weeks later, after drifting for 28 days, by the Ecuadorian coast guard, two of the three fisherman aboard had died.
According to the captain’s log on the Star Princess, the ship had been passing through a fishing fleet and had moved west to avoid damaging the fisherman’s nets. The fisherman were waving their shirts because they were thanking the ship. Princess Cruises say that they are investigating the incident.
Cruise Ship Didn’t Aid Drifting Boat, Passengers Say
Both Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line are owned by Carnival Corporation.
Thanks to Phil Leon for passing along the story.
Oops. It was March 10. I was on board the Star Princes that date. It was going from Ecuador to Puntarenas. I did not hear anything about this incidence on board the ship. There must be miscommunication to the Bridge that the bridge didn’t take any action. If it were me that spotted the fishmen and believed that they were in distress. I won’t just stop at the pursers desk. If I do not see any action, I would raise hell until I saw the captain myself and ask for an explanation of why no rescue activity right there and then.
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