Dozens of cruise ship passengers were left stranded at sea after their 40-foot catamaran sank off the coast of the Dominican Republic, officials said.
The ship, named Boca de Yuma, was traveling in the Samaná Bay on Sunday when a breach occurred in the hull and the vessel began taking on water, the Dominican Navy said in a statement.
Video and images of the scene show the terrified passengers jumping out of the cruise ship catamaran and desperately swimming towards nearby boats and rescue ships for help.
The Boca de Yuma was offering an “excursion” trip for 55 passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship when an emergency call was sent out, the navy said.
Fortunately, all the passengers had life vests available and were quickly rescued by the Navy and first responders, who took them back to Embat Pier.
The Samaná Port Authority is investigating the cause of the incident, with the Navy reporting that the catamaran was operated by two Dominican crew members, including a captain, the local Diario Libre reported.
TUI Cruises, which operates the Mein Schiff 1, said in a statement that the catamaran likely collided with an object in the water, causing the breach that sank the vessel.
“According to the information currently available, there was a collision with an object in the water. The captain of the excursion boat immediately contacted other boats in the vicinity and requested assistance,” TUI told The Post.
The company said it has offered care and compensation to the affected passengers as TUI works with local authorities investigating the sinking.
“The rescue of the guests was the top priority and was successful. We would like to thank the crew members involved for their help,” the company added.
The cruise ship departed New York on Oct. 23 and is bound for Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to the Cruisemapper tracker.
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