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Carnival cruise ship rescues 25 people stranded off the coast of Mexico
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A Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard and rescued 25 people stranded in a small boat off the coast of Mexico, the company announced Saturday.
The 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance had left Long Beach, California, on Friday and was heading toward Ensenada Mexico for a three-day sailing when the cruise ship’s officers were informed by the Coast Guard “about a distress call involving a small vessel,” a news release said.
The ship immediately routed toward the location of the vessel, provided by the USCG, and “quickly” rescued all 25 people on board, including three children, the company said.
The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The rescued group was welcomed onto the cruise ship and given food, water, and medical assistance. Carnival coordinated with the Coast Guard to hand off the group.
The incident did not disrupt the Carnival Radiance’s schedule, the company announced.
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Another Carnival ship rescued a group of 28 Cuban nationals stuck at sea as it was sailing the Caribbean and saw people signaling for help in late April. The cruise ship was headed from Tampa, Florida, to Roatan in Honduras at the time. Also last month, a Celebrity Cruises ship sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to multiple destinations in the Caribbean rescued a small vessel adrift between Mexico and Cuba.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com