Horror footage recently captured the distressing moment when a Caribbean cruise ship catamaran capsized, leaving numerous passengers stranded in the ocean. The incident involved a small 12-meter vessel shuttling passengers between the Mein Schiff 1 cruise liner and the Dominican Republic. The catamaran encountered trouble and overturned due to a leak while en route to the shore. Video footage shows the 55 passengers, wearing bright red life jackets, floating in the water after they had to abandon the sinking ship.
The scene, documented by local news service CDN37 on November 9, also shows the boat submerging below the water’s surface, disappearing from view as it sank. Fortunately, all passengers were rescued by attentive responders who swiftly arrived at the scene. Multiple rescue boats were deployed, with crews pulling the soaked passengers to safety after throwing out life buoys. The passengers were safely rescued amid worsening sea conditions.
Following the rescue, some of the stranded passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the cruise staff, claiming they received no assistance or support during the emergency. The port authority mentioned that the Dominican Republic Navy is collaborating with local authorities to identify accountable parties and implement preventive measures to avoid similar incidents. While the exact cause of the leak remains unknown, initial investigations suggest a possible technical flaw in the catamaran’s hull.
TUI Cruises, the cruise operators managing the trip that originated from La Romana, confirmed that they are in communication with the excursion provider and the police to investigate the incident. A spokesperson clarified that the passengers were on an externally operated boat, stating, “The excursion catamaran from an external provider sank during an excursion.”