Passengers aboard a Princess Cruises ship encountered a grim scene in the Mediterranean this week. Staff aboard the Sapphire Princess, en route from Civitavecchia, Italy, to Cartagena, Spain, on Tuesday, spotted an orange inflatable life jacket floating in the water, the cruise line said in a statement to USA Today. The ship altered course and launched a fast rescue boat to investigate.
Crew members ultimately recovered the bodies of five people from the sea, according to the company. “It was very sad to watch,” one passenger says, per the Mirror. “I was shaking inside. The crew were very good at keeping everyone calm, but everyone was shocked.” Princess Cruises said the deceased weren’t passengers or crew from the Sapphire Princess. per USA Today.
The operation was carried out in coordination with Spain’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, which couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. People reports that Spanish police are now investigating. Princess Cruises offered “sincere condolences” and praised its crew’s quick actions, per USA Today. The incident follows a separate episode in February, when another vessel in the company’s fleet, the Regal Princess, took four people aboard from a small boat in distress while sailing in the Caribbean.