On Sunday, March 3rd, Royal Caribbean's "ICON
OF THE SEAS," the largest cruise
ship in the world, rescued 14 people who had been stranded in the ocean for
eight days.
The cruise ship was on
an eight-day cruise itinerary in the Caribbean and was between Cozumel, Mexico, and Western Cuba
when they spotted a tiny vessel adrift in the ocean and in dire need of
assistance.
Shortly after the survivors were spotted, the
cruise ship turned around and pulled next to their boat, deploying a small
rescue vessel. The rescue vessel brought all 14 people on the stranded boat
aboard the cruise ship in a couple of trips.
The US Coast Guard was notified, and the rescued people were immediately
provided with medical attention.
A US Coast Guard spokesperson stated that the
stranded vessel was found in the search and rescue area, where the Mexican Coast
Guard is responsible.
It was later found out that the rescued people were adrift in the ocean for eight days before they were rescued. The rescued individuals were later dropped off by the cruise ship at one of its ports of call, Roatan, Honduras.
Maritime law states that the captain and crew of
a ship have a moral and legal obligation when a human life hangs in the balance. According to the International Maritime
Organization, "a master of a ship at sea, which is in a position to be
able to provide assistance on receiving a signal from any source that persons
are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their
assistance."