MSC Cruise Ship Rescues Eight Men from North Africa Stranded in Boat

While on a 7-day Western Mediterranean sailing out of Civitavecchia on July 31, MSC Musica’s crew spotted a stranded vessel just 16 miles from the Port of Ibiza.

The MSC Cruises vessel was on its way to the Spanish Island when just before 11:30 AM visual contact was made and a rescue operation was put into effect.

According to recent reports from an Italian news outlet, eight men from North Africa were in the small boat, which had a non-functioning single outboard motor.

The stranded vessel also had no sails, no secondary propulsion, and there was very little of anything else in the boat in terms of supplies.

To get the stranded men onto the 92,409 gross ton cruise ship, a lifeboat was lowered. First Mate Roberto de Girolamo was in charge of the rescue effort which brought the men onto the lifeboat which was then raised up onto the ship.

Because the rescue was relatively close to the cruise ship’s next intended port of call and the men were brought onto the ship fairly quickly, the passengers on board faced no significant delays. There were no reports of canceled shore excursions or delays in the docking schedule.

According to a statement sent from MSC Cruises to USA Today, “the individuals were transferred directly from the ship’s tender to the care of a Spanish coast guard vessel.”

Under international maritime law (SOLAS), the master of a vessel is required to help assist in a distress at sea, even if it leads to delays or cancellations of ports.