Insignia Rescue at Sea

[Flatbush Flyer]

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/cruise-ship-rescues-68-migrants-finds-5-bodies-111274018

[clo]

I just read that. Quite a big deal. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Stockjock]

Here’s the article…

Rescue at Sea
 

Edited June 20 by Stockjock

[WESTEAST]

The rescue must have been upsetting to watch and wonderful that the crew were able to rescue so many.

[JoePDX]

This reminds me how lucky we are all to be able to travel in the manner that we do....  And that our complaints about this or that are so just trivial....   

 

Joe

Edited June 20 by JoePDX

[ronrick1943]

Wow! 

truly an extra adventure............

[Jancruz]

31 minutes ago, JoePDX said:

This reminds me how lucky we are all to be able to travel in the manner that we do....  And that our complaints about this or that are so just trivial....   

 

Joe

Plus 1

Jancuz1

[basor]

We have friends on this cruise and they report that the immigrants are being housed in the Insignia lounge and there are mattress, etc.  The medical team is treating them and they are being fed, etc.  The ship asked for people to donate men's clothing as they had barely any clothing.  The people onboard are kept separate from the immigrants.  They are very impressed with the lengths Insignia is going to assist them.

[Thought2go]

1 hour ago, basor said:

immigrants are being housed in the Insignia lounge and there are mattress, etc.

Very surprised they are not quarantined from the public spaces.

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, Thought2go said:

Very surprised they are not quarantined from the public spaces.

As noted, they are being kept in one lounge, and the passengers are being kept away from that lounge.  Not sure where else you would accommodate 60+ people in segregation.  Simplest from a logistics (meal serving, toilet facilities) and security viewpoints.

[jonthomas]

I don't want to see this rescue mission become an expectation of cruiseships and the passengers aboard the ship.

If governments have a mandate to rescue illegal migrants and care for them, take them to their countries and support them, then a ship should have immediately been sent to transfer them from the Insignia.

Send in the flames.

[no1talks]

There is always a small chance of a cruise ship becoming involved in humanitarian activity, such as a resuce at sea...

 

...whether or not there are cruise passengers who are, themselves, not very humanitarian at all.

[chengkp75]

5 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

I don't want to see this rescue mission become an expectation of cruiseships and the passengers aboard the ship.

If governments have a mandate to rescue illegal migrants and care for them, take them to their countries and support them, then a ship should have immediately been sent to transfer them from the Insignia.

Send in the flames.

It is not just cruise ships, it is all ships that are required to render aid to a vessel in distress whenever possible, as long as it does not place the rescuing ship, cargo, passengers, crew, or the environment in danger.  Since the flag state for Insignia, the Marshall Islands, are signatory to both SOLAS (Safety of LIfe at Sea) and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on Law of the Seas), their ships are required to render aid, and should a vessel have been dispatched from the Marshall Islands to get these refugees? 

 

And, secondly, transfer of people between vessels in the open ocean is risky and dangerous, and only done in the direst of emergencies, like an overloaded small boat in the ocean, that is in danger of swamping.  No Coast Guard or Navy would consider transferring 60+ people at sea, unless there was a life threatening reason.

 

Pretty entitled attitude, IMHO.  In case you haven't been keeping up with the news over the last 6 decades since modern cruise ships started sailing, but this happens multiple times every year, and has for decades.

[basenji56]

"The Spanish rescue agency emailed a statement saying the Insignia is expected to arrive on Friday at the port of Santa Cruz, Tenerife.

The Canary Islands is a destination for boats packed with migrants departing from northwestern Africa on a perilous Atlantic route in search of a better life in Europe.

 

"Spain's Interior Ministry says a record 55,618 migrants arrived by boat — most of them in the Canary Islands — last year, almost double the number of the previous year. More than 23,000 have landed so far this year, the ministry said."

[chengkp75]

Your point is?  How many of those were rescued by cruise ships?

[redraider1966]

39 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

It is not just cruise ships, it is all ships that are required to render aid to a vessel in distress whenever possible, as long as it does not place the rescuing ship, cargo, passengers, crew, or the environment in danger.  Since the flag state for Insignia, the Marshall Islands, are signatory to both SOLAS (Safety of LIfe at Sea) and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on Law of the Seas), their ships are required to render aid, and should a vessel have been dispatched from the Marshall Islands to get these refugees? 

 

And, secondly, transfer of people between vessels in the open ocean is risky and dangerous, and only done in the direst of emergencies, like an overloaded small boat in the ocean, that is in danger of swamping.  No Coast Guard or Navy would consider transferring 60+ people at sea, unless there was a life threatening reason.

 

Pretty entitled attitude, IMHO.  In case you haven't been keeping up with the news over the last 6 decades since modern cruise ships started sailing, but this happens multiple times every year, and has for decades.

Plus 1.

[kibutzer]

8 hours ago, Thought2go said:

Very surprised they are not quarantined from the public spaces.

And where would you put that many people, below deck? So impressed with the way Insignia is showing their humanity. 

[Thought2go]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

No Coast Guard or Navy would consider transferring 60+ people at sea, unless there was a life threatening reason.

And these agencies are constantly trained for such an emergency. There was, according to reports, life threatening reasons -5 died on board and another one died onboard Insignia after being rescued. 

[chengkp75]

26 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

And these agencies are constantly trained for such an emergency. There was, according to reports, life threatening reasons -5 died on board and another one died onboard Insignia after being rescued. 

Yes, and read my previous post.  The idea of transferring people up to a bulk carrier would likely result in 60-70% casualties (death), even if some could be fished out of the water after falling.  Yes, the Coast Guard and Navy are trained for this, and also have ships better suited to rescuing people from small boats or the water (low freeboard, scramble nets, rescue swimmers).

 

Also, even if the Oldendorff was ordered to assist the boat, the Captain of the Oldendorff is under no legal requirement to provide aid, if it places the ship, cargo, crew, or environment in danger.  And, under international convention, no one, not the people needing rescue, nor the Coast Guard, nor a lawyer, can question the Captain's decision at that time.  The Captain has "overriding authority" as the person on the scene to make judgement calls on what is dangerous and what is not.  If he decided to unilaterally start taking people off the boat into his ship, and some fell off the ladder and were lost at sea, he could be held personally culpable for their deaths.

[basor]

Here is a first hand account from friend onboard

Update on our refugees. Turns out there are 68 from three African countries, and they had been at sea for 20 days. 62 men 3 children, 3 women, and unfortunately 5 deceased before rescue. We will leave the refugees tomorrow in the Canary Islands. The main language seems to be French. They have no contact with any of us and they are being kept in seclusion in the lounge.

 

The following is gleaned via gossip via one of the staff:

Basically, they are lying on mattresses, very weak, and are tended by our medical staff wearing hazmat outfits.  Three people are on drips. They were reduced to drinking sea water, and as such are on a very limited diet until they can tolerate foods. Breakfast was congee, and they ate very little of that.

 

We were asked to donate men’s clothing. All clothes they were rescued in were destroyed.

 

We received a letter form the Captain praising the bravery and dedication of the crew, and we hardily agree. Watching the crew board the boat and assist those who were so weak, was heart-rendering.

[JRIH]

We were on the Nautica, in the Baltic, in 2016.  We rescued the crew of 3 from a sinking yacht.  The yacht sank less than 30 minutes from taking the crew off.  Whatever country we were next to sent a boat out to pick them up.

[tarhoosier]

Regarding the "discomfort" to the passengers on Insignia:  they will have a story to tell about their cruise that EVERYONE they know will want to hear.

 

A rescue at sea. Witness to death and near-death. Bravery on the high sea. Experience of the desperation of poverty and failed states. Part of a story told around the world. 

 

AND they had their dinner on time. 

 

Perhaps different from their other cruise tales.

 

[Vertygo]

8 hours ago, basor said:

Turns out there are 68 from three African countries, and they had been at sea for 20 days. 62 men 3 children, 3 women, and unfortunately 5 deceased before rescue.

I can not imagine the desperation those people had to attempt their journey, much less spending 20 days at sea crammed into a small vessel. And, I’m glad Insignia was able to rescue some & give them good medical care.

Politics aside, it’s inhumane to not do what you can for those suffering.

Makes me appreciate even more the ability to board Vista in a few weeks, following my Business Class flight.

There but for the grace of God…..

[osandomir]

11 minutes ago, Vertygo said:

I can not imagine the desperation those people had to attempt their journey, much less spending 20 days at sea crammed into a small vessel. And, I’m glad Insignia was able to rescue some & give them good medical care.

Politics aside, it’s inhumane to not do what you can for those suffering.

Makes me appreciate even more the ability to board Vista in a few weeks, following my Business Class flight.

There but for the grace of God…..

It’s hard for me to understand how any human being who is fortunate to be able to cruise in the middle of the sea would prefer those PEOPLE to be left behind so they wouldn’t affect the enjoyment of someone’s vacation.