Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Empress of the Seas rescued two Costa Rican fishermen who were adrift since December 1, between Jamaica and Cuba.
The two fishermen left Porto Limon, Costa Rica to fish, and fell asleep while their nets were soaking only to wake up to realize their vessel had been blown away from the location where they had left their gear, Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist James Van Flee said in an update.
Apparently, as the duo was trying to get back they ran out of gas and were adrift for 20 days.
More pics to share from @RoyalCaribbean #EmpressoftheSeas rescuing 2 Mariners who had been at Sea for 20 DAYS in that small boat between #Jamaica and #GrandCayman ! See last pic for story. UNREAL and so PROUD of Officers and Crew! Thank you @jleberle and @caryjames007 for pics. pic.twitter.com/VEw1tzChMO
— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) December 21, 2018
According to the update, one of the men could no longer walk and had to be carried on board the cruise ship where he was provided with medical assistance. The two men disembarked in Ocho Rios to go to the hospital. “By the time they got to Jamaica, the fisherman was able to walk again on his own,” Van Flee said. “The crew who worked to help save them took up a collection of cash, some USD 300 for them to buy clothes and food as they left the hospital.”
The rescue was made possible due to the ship’s itinerary change made due to inclement weather.