50 cruise passengers rescued after catamaran capsizes in the Caribbean

The Dominican navy were called to help with the incident

The Dominican navy were called out to Bay of Samana where the boat was capsizing (Dominican Navy)

A rescue mission was launched for around 50 Tui cruise passengers on an excursion after a catamaran capsized in the Dominican Republic.

Passengers from the Tui cruise Mein Schiff 1 scrambled to safety on nearby boats in the Bay of Samana after the catamaran-type vessel named Boca de Yuma sank on Sunday, 9 November.

The 40-foot-long vessel reportedly had a malfunction inside the hull after it collided with an object in the water.

An emergency call from the vessel was received by the Dominican Republic navy, which responded to the scene.

“The Captaincy of the Port of Samana reported that they are investigating the causes of the incident,” the navy said in a statement.

“The Dominican Republic navy collaborates with local authorities to determine responsibilities and take preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.”

A spokesperson for Tui Cruises said there were around 50 guests from the Mein Schiff 1 onboard the catamaran at the time.

After colliding with an object in the water, the captain of the vessel immediately contacted other boats in the vicinity and requested assistance.

Authorities are now looking into the cause of the capsizing (Dominican Navy)

It added that all guests are safe and were returned to Mein Schiff 1 immediately after the rescue, thanking the crew members involved for their help.

“The guests affected were immediately offered pastoral care and compensation. All of them decided to continue the trip,” the spokesperson said.

“We are continuing to investigate the incident together with the provider and the relevant authorities. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our top priority.”

The incident occurred only days into Mein Schiff 1’s 14-day round trip of Central America, which set sail from La Romana in the Dominican Republic on 7 November.

After sailing to Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, the cruise will dock back in La Romana on 21 November.

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