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The ship had diverted to avoid Tropical Storm Imelda
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A Royal Caribbean cruise reportedly rescued a group of people floating on a raft at sea after diverting to avoid Tropical Storm Imelda.
Enchantment of the Seas had altered the route of its five-day Bahamas itinerary as a result of dangerous weather.
Instead, the ship left Tampa, Florida, on 27 September for stops at the Mexican ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel, according to tracking website Cruisemapper.
On the evening of Sunday 28 September, crew members noticed a group of people apparently stranded on a raft, signalling for help.
Footage posted in a public Facebook group shows a rescue vessel approaching the raft, with several people standing on it.
Passengers who witnessed the incident said that they had previously seen lights in the distance signalling “SOS”.
Some 12 people were brought aboard the Enchantment of the Seas, YouTube show Cruise News Today said, and were provided with care and water.
It is customary for cruise ships to investigate vessels in distress and alert relevant authorities, such as the coastguard.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson confirmed the incident to The Independent. They said: “Our crew identified individuals in distress in international waters, provided medical care to those who were rescued and worked closely with the Mexican coastguard.”
Earlier this year, another Royal Caribbean cruise ship rescued 11 people adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.
Brilliance of the Seas was being chartered by LGBT+ holiday company Vacaya in February when the rescue occurred.
The ship had departed New Orleans for a seven-night cruise when, halfway through the sailing, the captain spotted a boat in the distance “that appeared to be in distress”, Randle Roper, the CEO of Vacaya, told CNN.
The people, who Mr Roper said were refugees, were waving a white flag of distress while bailing out water from the boat.
They were ferried three at a time from the failing boat and brought aboard the Brilliance of the Seas.
Read more: I travelled on the world’s biggest cruise ship – this is what I thought
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