Cruise News

Cruise Ship Rescues 68 People Adrift in Atlantic Ocean

The Oceania-owned Insignia cruise ship rescued 68 migrants whose vessel had gone adrift while trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. During the rescue on Wednesday, five of its occupants had already died, while another passed away before he could be medically evacuated by air.

A large white cruise ship, named Insignia, sails on a calm body of water near the Canary Islands under a partly cloudy sky. The Oceania Cruise liner recently gained attention for its remarkable rescues of migrants in distress at sea. — (Photo courtesy of Vytautas Kielaitis/Shutterstock.com)

An oil tanker spotted the small boat as it drifted over 500 miles from the south of Tenerife, the archipelago’s largest island.

According to the government agency Salvamento Marítimo (Maritime Safety and Rescue Society), the carrier administered first aid while waiting for the cruise ship to reach the area. The Regatta-class cruise vessel was on a 180-day global voyage at the time of the incident.

Upon its arrival, the 684-passenger Insignia picked up 68 migrants and recovered three bodies, leaving behind two of the deceased because of challenging weather conditions.

Image shows an Oceania Cruise ship sailing on the ocean, juxtaposed with a map highlighting the ship's route, marked by an arrow and a red circle, indicating its current position near Cape Verde en route to the Canary Islands. — (Photo courtesy of Oceania Cruises/MarineTraffic)

Crew members found three women, three children, and 62 men from Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the migrants who required emergency medical care passed away before he could be transferred to a healthcare facility.

A representative from Oceania Cruises corroborated the rescue with CNN, saying, “We can confirm that Insignia rescued 68 people from a vessel in distress between Cape Verde and Tenerife and bought them onboard for medical assistance and provided food, drinks, clothing, and a safe place to rest.”

“We have coordinated the next steps with authorities in Tenerife, and they will be taking over the care of the rescued people,” the cruise line’s spokesperson added.

Passengers Lend a Helping Hand

A passenger onboard Insignia named Henry Tom described how some cruise ship guests stepped up to CBS News. While occupying the Insignia Lounge, the vessel’s live performance venue, guests donated clothes and shoes. Henry estimates that the group had been at sea for 20 to 30 days.

Canary Island Migrants are Growing Exponentially

canary islands spain — Canary Islands (Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises)

The Canary Islands are a popular cruise destination, especially with the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea. They are also a point of entry for several thousands of migrants.

From January 1 to June 15, 2024, the Canary Islands’ migrant arrivals by sea numbered 18,977. The figure represents more than a 220% growth from last year’s period.

Not all of them get rescued and reach their destination. On average, 33 people die every day in an attempt to reach the safety of the Spanish islands.