Norwegian Gem Rescues Five from Sailboat in North Atlantic

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Gem rescued five people from a sinking sailboat in the North Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 29. The cruise ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard, which had received a distress notification from Sanctuary, a 39-foot sailboat, stating that it had large breaking waves over the bow, had lost power and its life raft, and was taking on water. Sanctuary was located approximately 350 nautical miles from New York in the North Atlantic, two hours away from Norwegian Gem, the closest vessel in the area. Norwegian Gem Capt. Hakan Svedung immediately diverted course to rescue the four men and one woman aboard. Upon reaching the Sanctuary, Norwegian Gem encountered extreme weather conditions with wind force up to 40 knots and large swells, making it challenging to launch the ship’s rescue boat. Once in the water, the rescue boat made contact with the sailboat and quickly transferred the five occupants, who are Canadians. At approximately 2 p.m., the sailboat passengers and rescue team were all safely aboard Norwegian Gem. The ship, which was returning from Bermuda, continued on its route back to New York. "This rescue operation was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances," Svedung said. "I am proud of our crew who braved their lives to rescue the five people in distress." For more information contact TheCruiseOutlet.com