Cruise ship rescues 68 people from wooden boat drifting in Atlantic Ocean

A CRUISE ship has rescued 68 people and found five bodies in a wooden boat that was drifting off the Canary Islands.

Spain’s maritime rescue agency said an oil tanker travelling from north-western Spain to Brazil spotted the boat on Wednesday afternoon about 506 miles south of Tenerife, one of the seven islands in the Canaries.

Spanish authorities diverted the Insignia, a cruise ship, to rescue the people.

The Insignia crew also recovered three of the five bodies on the canoe-shaped boat, known as a pirogues, which are used by fishermen in Mauritania and Senegal.

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The remains of two people were left at sea because of bad weather hampering their recovery.

It is unusual for cruise ships to rescues migrants on the Atlantic route but the boat “was a long way out and they could be in danger”, said a maritime rescue spokesperson.

One of the passengers on the cruise ship, Steve Dilbeck from Huntington Beach, California, said they were not told about the dead.

“They did say the boat had been at sea for 20 days,” Dilbeck told The Associated Press in a text message.

“We were diverted in the evening and took us two hours to reach them. They were brought on board and placed in the Insignia Lounge, which is where they have all their shows.

“The area has been closed off to passengers. Told they had them remove their clothes and put on jumpsuits. Then they asked passengers if they had shoes and clothes they could donate, particularly for men. Their announcement said 62 were men, with the rest women and children,” he added.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Insignia had left Mindelo, a port city in Cape Verde, on Tuesday.

Its operator, Miami-based Oceania Cruises, did not immediately comment on the rescue.

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