The small boat was ferrying passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship on a day trip

Dozens of cruise ship passengers were left floating in the ocean after the catamaran they were travelling on during a day excursion suddenly sank. The small vessel was transporting passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship during its stop at the Dominican Republic.

The 12-metre craft, called Boca de Yuma, quickly became submerged – forcing all 55 passengers to leap into the water. The group outing turned into a nightmare with holidaymakers spotted floating in the sunshine across Samana bay before Dominican Navy personnel mounted a rescue operation.

The nationalities of those on the day excursion remain unknown.

Video footage captures life rings being thrown to the stranded travellers before they are pulled to safety. A small section of the catamaran remained visible before it disappeared beneath the waves.

Residents from the El Crucero community also assisted in the rescue effort, reports the Mirror.

The port authority stated: “The Dominican Republic Navy is working closely with local authorities to identify those responsible and take measures to prevent such an incident from happening again.”

TUI Cruises, which operated the cruise departing from La Romana, confirmed representatives are in talks with the excursion provider and police to examine the cause.

A spokeswoman confirmed the passengers were travelling on a boat operated by an external provider, stating: “The excursion catamaran from an external provider sank during an excursion.”

The company is in close contact with the provider and local authorities to clarify the situation.

Following Sunday’s incident, all passengers safely returned to the German cruiser Mein Schiff 1.

The cruise ship, which can accommodate up to 4,000 guests, will continue its journey as planned, with Jamaica being the vessel’s next destination.

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