Five bodies were retrieved from the ocean during a three-hour operation by crew members on a cruise ship.
Passengers aboard the Sapphire Princess were informed that the vessel was turning back after an orange object, later identified as a lifejacket, was seen in the western Mediterranean Sea at 6pm on April 21.
Video footage captured the recovery of a male body wearing a purple top and black shorts. The body was carefully transferred onto the ship after being examined by medical personnel. The ship resumed its course at 6:59pm.
Shortly after at 7:47pm, another life jacket was spotted, leading to the retrieval of a second body. Subsequent videos show three more bodies being recovered before the captain declared that all five bodies had been retrieved.
A passenger, who preferred anonymity, expressed sadness at witnessing the events and praised the crew for their professionalism in handling the situation. The passenger speculated that the deceased individuals were likely migrants and mentioned that counseling services were offered to all on board.
The cruise ship was positioned between Spain and North Africa and later docked in Cartagena, Spain, on April 22. The vessel, carrying over three thousand passengers, embarked on a fourteen-day journey from a port near Rome, Italy, on April 19, with its final destination set for Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 3.
The passenger, who initially shared the account through Talk to the Press, remarked on the rarity of such occurrences, highlighting the shock among passengers, including a seasoned cruiser who had never witnessed a similar incident in sixty voyages.
The individuals recovered from the sea are believed to be migrants, as confirmed by Princess Cruises. The cruise line stated that the crew of the Sapphire Princess recovered the bodies in coordination with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, emphasizing that the deceased were not guests or crew members of the ship. Princess Cruises extended condolences for the loss and commended the swift and effective response of their crew in providing aid.
