More than 40 tourists were rescued from the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia after the boat they were traveling in sank on its way to a paradise island near the colonial city of Cartagena, the Colombian navy announced on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday, approximately an hour after the vessel departed from Cartagena en route to Isla Palma, located about an hour and a half to the south. According to an Ecuadoran tourist interviewed by Colombia’s Caracol TV, the boat’s prow collapsed, causing the vessel to take on water. Another tourist from Ecuador described the harrowing moment, stating, “The boat flipped and fell on top of us.”
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The navy reported that a local fisherman rescued 10 of the tourists, while the coastguard saved 32 others. Images released by the navy showed passengers floating in the water wearing life jackets during the rescue operation.
Of the 42 people rescued, 39 were foreign nationals from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru. The remaining three were Colombian citizens.
The cause of the shipwreck remains under investigation. Fortunately, the navy confirmed that none of the passengers required urgent medical attention, and all were reported to be in good health following the rescue.
