Watch: Maltese TV Host Experiences Caribbean Cruise Ship’s ‘Heartwarming’ Rescue Of Cuban Migrants
Rachel Cachia, a Maltese businesswoman who hosts the TVM show Gadgets, was on a Caribbean cruise when the captain halted the journey to rescue a small group of Cuban migrants from a raft.
Rachel told Lovin Malta that she was on the Carnival Celebration vessel some 30 miles off the coast of Cuba with no land in sight when the ship suddenly stopped.
“A raft was spotted on the horizon and the people were using paddles to get closer to the ship,” she recounted.
The Celebration crew successfully rescued the five people on board the raft, with the ship’s passengers cheering them on from the deck.
@lovinmaltaofficial Rachel Cachia – a Maltese businesswoman who hosts the TVM show @gadgetsmalta – was on a Caribbean cruise when the captain halted the journey to rescue a small group of Cuban migrants from a raft 👀 Rachel told Lovin Malta that she was on the Carnival Celebration vessel some 30 miles off the coast of Cuba with no land in sight when the ship suddenly stopped 🛳️ “A raft was spotted on the horizon and the people were using paddles to get closer to the ship,” she recounted 😳 The Celebration crew successfully rescued the five people on board the raft, with the ship’s passengers cheering them on from the deck. The ship then sailed back to Miami to turn them over to the US Coast Guard before continuing its voyage 👏🏽 “It was heartwarming to see them being rescued,” Rachel recounted. "The cruise director was updating us continuously about the rescue and finally told us that the five people aboard the raft were safely all on board the ship and being taken care of by the medical team. He emphasised that saving lives at sea matters” ✨ She added that two hours after the successful rescue, the cruise ship spotted another raft and stopped again. However, the raft was empty, leading people to fear the worst 😞 What do you make of this? Sound off in the comments below and read the full story by Tim Diacono on Lovin Malta 📲 #fyp #fypmalta #malta #LovinMalta #caribbean #cruise #carnival #cuba #miami #rescue #atlanticocean #ship #migrants ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
The ship then sailed back to Miami to turn them over to the US Coast Guard before continuing its voyage.
“It was heartwarming to see them being rescued,” Rachel recounted.
“The cruise director was updating us continuously about the rescue and finally told us that the five people aboard the raft were safely all on board the ship and being taken care of by the medical team. He emphasised that saving lives at sea matters.”
She added that two hours after the successful rescue, the cruise ship spotted another raft and stopped again. However, the raft was empty, leading people to fear the worst.
The cruise ship later encountered an empty raft
This rescue mission, along with a separate one made by the Celebrity Beyond cruise ship, was widely reported in the international press.
CBS News quoted a passenger on board the ship describing the rescue as an emotional experience
“It was so emotional, people were crying, cheering when they made it on board, praying, it was just very emotional. I feel like the 3,000 people on that ship reconsidered the plight of the Cuban people in one hour. It was amazing,” he said.
AP reported that US border patrol and Coast Guard crews patrolling South Florida have been experiencing the largest escalation of boat migrations nearly a decade, with hundreds of people rescued in recent months. Most of the migrants are said to be Cuban and Haitian, escaping economic problems and food shortages.
Cover photo: Left: The Cuban migrants being rescued by the Carnival Celebration cruise ship, Right: Passengers aboard the cruise ship cheer on the rescue, Inset: TV show host Rachel Cachia
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