A Disney cruise ship was diverted to save four people from a sinking catamaran in the Bermuda Triangle, hundreds of miles from dry land.
The Disney Treasure responded to the mayday call after a 50 foot (15 metres) long catamaran, called the Serenity, lost power and became disabled some 265 miles from the coast of Bermuda.
The vessel's escape hatch blew a gasket, causing the cruise ship to take on water, the US Coast Guard said.
As a result of the serious situation that was developing, the US Coast Guard put out a broadcast requesting immediate assistance from the nearest ship.
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The Disney Treasure, situated in the Atlantic Ocean around 80 miles away from the Serenity, answered the call.
Heading towards the sinking catamaran, Disney Treasure personnel launched a lifeboat in the hope of rescuing all four passengers on board the boat.
A crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina launched a HC-130 to fly over the scene until the rescue was complete.
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Coast Guard video from the scene shows the yellow lifeboat heading from the cruise ship toward the disabled catamaran.
The Disney Treasure was headed from Eemshaven, Netherlands, to its new home in Port Canaveral, Florida, when it responded to the vessel in distress, the Disney Cruise Line said in a statement.
Disney Treasure Capt Marco Nogara said that they were pleased to be able to help the passengers in peril.
"We are pleased that the Disney Treasure was able to provide aid to the boat passengers in peril," Capt Nogara said.
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“Our crew members worked together on the rescue, skilfully demonstrating their training and commitment to safety."
Disney Treasure was on the way to Miami, Florida when it made the rescue, with the cruise ship not yet launched.
It is set to sail on its maiden voyage on 21 December this year, with 2,500 passengers on board.
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The cruise ship will be the sixth ship in Disney's fleet and will be sister sister of the Disney Wish, launched in 2022.
Rescued from the Bermuda Triangle, it is a region of the North Atlantic Ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda.
Over the years, a number of aircraft and ships have disappeared in the region of ocean with no known reason given to many of the disappearances, giving it a mysterious reputation. Some people even refer to it as the Devil's Triangle.
The most recent sinking incident in the Bermuda Triangle area takes back to October 2015, where a cargo vessel sank during a deadly hurricane.
Topics: Disney, Cruise Ship, Travel, Holiday
Tom Earnshaw