Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship Rescues 63 Migrants from Overcrowded Sailboat

 

Greek authorities report that the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Epic aided in the rescue of migrants on an overcrowded sailboat. A total of 63 people were taken aboard on October 22 and provided shelter and medical attention before being handed over to the Greek authorities the following morning.

The cruise ship had departed the Italian port of Civitavecchia on October 21 for an 11-night Mediterranean cruise. It was proceeding to its first port of Santorini when the call for assistance was issued by the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Hellenic Coast Guard. According to the report, the center was requesting aid for the vessel. It is unclear if the sailboat had issued a distress call or, more likely, had been identified by one of the patrols in the area. Frontex, an EU operation, as well as the various national coast guards and charities, patrol the areas by air and sea where migrant boats are frequently identified.

The 155,873 GT cruise ship, registered in the Bahamas, has accommodations for more than 4,000 passengers. The Hellenic Coast Guard reports it diverted from its planned itinerary and located the sailboat approximately 65 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos.

Passengers from the cruise posted online that the ship used one of its tenders to approach the overcrowded boat, which they described as a 30-foot sailboat. The cruise passengers said the operation took “several hours.” Once aboard, they were given medical attention, food, and water, while the authorities were notified.

The outlet InfoMigrants, which is operated by three major European media sources to monitor the migrant situation, reports that it is rare for cruise ships to get involved in the ongoing problem in the Mediterranean. Occasionally, commercial ships are asked to render assistance, but mostly it is handled by the coast guards and private organizations.

Typically, cruise ships land those they rescue at their next port of call, but Greece has strict controls on the flow of migrants. The cruise ship had been headed to the popular tourist destination of Santorini, but was directed to divert to the anchorage at Kalamata. The Norwegian Epic was met by a government launch, which transferred the migrants to the port for identification and processing.

The cruise resumed, but the Norwegian Epic had been delayed, forcing it to cancel the scheduled port call in Santorini. It was reported to be proceeding to its next port call at Piraeus.