25 Refugees Rescued by Carnival Cruise Ship Off Mexico

On Saturday, May 25, the Carnival cruise ship Carnival Radiance rescued 25 refugees stranded on a small boat near the Pacific coast of Mexico. The boat, which was overcrowded with 25 passengers including three children, had a nonfunctional outboard motor, and not all passengers were equipped with life jackets.

The rescue mission was initiated after the Carnival Radiance responded to a distress call relayed by the U.S. Coast Guard. The cruise ship promptly changed course and reached the stranded boat to carry out the rescue. 

All the refugees were safely brought on board the cruise ship and received medical attention. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Arrangements were made by the cruise ship authorities to meet with U.S. Coast Guard officials to transfer the 25 refugees to the appropriate authorities.

Carnival Radiance, previously known as Carnival Victory, was on a three-night voyage to Baja, Mexico. Despite the rescue, the ship's itinerary remained unaffected, and it continued its journey, arriving in Ensenada, Mexico, as scheduled on May 26.

The vessel is a 102,232-gross-ton cruise ship registered in Panama, with its home port in Long Beach, California. This 2,984-passenger ship offers short cruises of 3 to 6 nights to destinations such as Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, and Catalina, California. Additionally, the ship offers longer cruises to Hawaii, U.S.