Sapphire Princess crew recovers five bodies from sea near Cartagena
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Apr 24
Sapphire Princess crew recovers five bodies from sea near Cartagena
11 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Apr 24
The crew spotted an orange inflatable lifejacket on April 21 while en route to Spain and deployed a Fast Rescue Boat, recovering five deceased individuals.
The deceased were not guests or employees of the Sapphire Princess, and the crew coordinated with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center during the recovery.
Princess Cruises expressed condolences and praised the crew’s swift response; in February, another Princess ship rescued four people from a vessel in distress in the Caribbean.
Italy restricts rescue ships. Did this policy lead to these five deaths?
Will the identities of the five deceased ever be known by their families?
Can Europe stop smugglers without sacrificing migrants' lives at sea?
Why are thousands still risking death to cross the sea to Europe?
When a vacation becomes a recovery mission, what is the human cost?