Fifty-five tourists left adrift as catamaran sinks near Samaná Bay
At least 55 cruise ship passengers have been left floating out at sea after their excursion boat sank.
Passengers aboard the German cruiser Mein Schiff 1 set off on a catamaran on Sunday to watch the sun set over the Dominican Republic.
But a leak sprang on the 12-metre craft, named Boca de Yuma 1, flooding it and causing it to sink just off the shores of Samaná Bay.
Footage shows holiday-makers – including elderly people and children – floundering in the sea as rescue crews arrived.
No one was injured and all passengers were rescued.
One passenger, however, told RTL that ‘frightened passengers were not taken care of’ by cruise staff.
TUI Cruises, which operated the cruise, told German tabloid Bild that representatives are in talks with the trip provider and the police to investigate the cause. Preliminary findings suggest a ‘technical defect’ in the catamaran’s hull.
A spokesperson said: ‘The excursion catamaran from an external provider sank during an excursion.’
The navy added: ‘We are working closely with the local authorities to clarify the exact circumstances and prevent similar incidents in the future.’
The cruise is now en route to Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to the monitoring service CruiseMapper.
Deputy Editor
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