55 Passengers Rescued After Catamaran Sinks Off Dominican Republic

All 55 passengers from the German cruise ship Mein Schiff 1 were rescued unharmed from the Caribbean Sea on Sunday after the catamaran carrying them on a sightseeing excursion sank off the coast of the Dominican Republic.

The incident occurred in Samana Bay near the port of El Embarcadero, where the 40-foot vessel, named Boca de Yuma, began taking on water shortly after departing. Local authorities reported that the catamaran suffered internal hull damage, leading to a rapid influx of water that forced everyone aboard to abandon ship and don life jackets. Video footage captured the passengers, including some elderly individuals and children, floating in the water as the boat submerged completely, with only a small section briefly visible above the surface.

The Dominican Navy, along with civil defense teams, local coast guard units, and private vessels from nearby communities like El Crucero, responded swiftly to the distress call. Rescue personnel threw life rings to the stranded group and pulled them aboard one by one over the course of about an hour. Officials confirmed that all 55 passengers and crew members were accounted for, with several treated for minor injuries such as...