Mahahual, Q.R. — Cruise ship Norwegian Prima spotted a drifting foreign vessel off the coast of Mahahual Tuesday. The sighting was reported to the Navy of Mexico who met the ship and foreign vessel that was carrying 12. The cruise ship was on its way to Mahahual when it came across the small boat.
In a statement, the Secretary of the Navy, acting as the Coast Guard, reported that naval personnel provided medical support to 12 people of foreign nationality who were rescued by a cruise ship during its navigation to the port of Mahahual.
Mexican authorities went out in search of the vessel “after receiving an emergency call in the Command and Control Room reporting that cruise ship Norwegian Prima sighted and rescued, during its navigation through the Caribbean Sea, 12 people of foreign nationality who were aboard a smaller vessel adrift approximately 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) northwest of Cancun.
“An ambulance with Naval Health personnel belonging to the Chetumal Naval Hospital was ordered to go to the cruise ship dock in the town of Mahahual in order to provide the corresponding medical support,” they added.
“Once the cruise ship arrived at the Mahahual dock, the 12 foreigners were received by naval elements and by authorities from the National Migration Institute (INM), who, when carrying out medical evaluations, showed symptoms of dehydration.”
All 12 were subsequently transferred to the INM facilities in the city of Chetumal for the corresponding legal procedures. The 12 on board are said to have been of Cuban nationality and were on their way to the U.S. but experienced problems which left them adrift.
