A group of 14 people stranded in the ocean were rescued by crew members aboard the Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, as it was making its voyage from Miami to Honduras.
The individuals were reportedly clinging to a small boat and in need of assistance, when the cruise ship encountered them and “the ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people onboard,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said.
The ship reported that it is currently in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and has provided medical assistance to the people brought onboard.
Alessandra Amodio, who was on the Icon of the Seas when the rescue mission occurred Sunday, said she saw the people clinging to the small craft wave a white flag.
“The boat turned around, and we pulled up as close as we could to them and stopped,” Amodio told FoxWeather.com.
She said the crew also broadcast a message of “Code Oscar” repeatedly over the loudspeakers, meaning there was a man overboard.
It turned out the rescued individuals had been stranded at sea for eight days, according to the captain of the Icon of the Seas.
The identities of those rescued have not yet been released. Their condition was not immediately clear.
The Icon of the Seas, considered the world’s largest cruise ship, is making its maiden voyage after departing from Miami on Jan. 27
