MIAMI – A few years ago, a fisherman from Panama sued Princess Cruises, after one of the cruise lines' ships passed right by him and did not rescue him. Two others with him died. He was the lone survivor.
Adrian Vazquez's complaint made it to federal court in Miami. An Ecuadorian Navy ship rescued him after 28 days at sea. The company lawyers expressed regret and claimed that neither the captain, nor the officer of the watch were notified, and asked that the case be dismissed.
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On Wednesday, the company released a "cruise ship rescue" announcement. Princess Cruises' Coral Princess departed from Fort Lauderdale Sunday. The large Panamax ship was on its way to Aruba when they spotted men stranded at sea Monday.
About 7 p.m. two Venezuelan men, who were adrift at sea with a capsized boat, made it onboard and received medical treatment, according to an e-mail from Karen Candy, the company's public relations manager.
In 2013, a Princess Cruises ship rescued about 100 Syrian refugees in the Mediterranean upon the request of the Italian Coast Guard. The group included a pregnant woman and 44 children. The Coast Guard's video of the dramatic rescue made it to YouTube.
Princess Cruises released a photo of one of the Venezuelans on their ship Monday. A medical evaluation determined both men were in stable condition, Candy said. International law of the sea makes it illegal for ships to deny rescue.