At least 63 people have been rescued by a cruise ship after being stranded in the Ionian Sea, Greek authorities have confirmed.
According to reports, Norwegian Cruise Line received an emergency request from the Greek Coast Guard on Wednesday, October 22, to help save a group of people spotted adrift in the Mediterranean waters.
The company’s vessel, Norwegian Epic, which had departed from Civitavecchia, Italy, was on a scheduled route with stops in Greece, Malta, Italy, and France when it responded to the distress call.
In a statement, Norwegian Cruise Line said the individuals were safely brought on board and immediately given medical care, food, and other essentials by the crew.
“The individuals were brought on board and tended to by the ship’s crew, who provided a medical evaluation, food, and other items for their comfort,” the company stated.
The ship then proceeded to Kalamata, Greece, where the rescued people were handed over to local authorities as directed by the Greek Rescue Coordination Centre.
Due to the unexpected rescue, the ship cancelled a planned stop in Santorini but later resumed its regular itinerary.
“We appreciate our guests’ patience and understanding during this unexpected interruption to their journey,” Norwegian Cruise Line added.
Although the company did not disclose details about the rescued individuals, passengers have claimed on social media that they appeared to be migrants.
This incident comes a month after another major rescue operation involving a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which saved around 12 people stranded on a makeshift raft off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean Sea.
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