Maritime search and rescue (SAR) teams and Good Samaritans came to the aid of the 33 passengers aboard the sightseeing catamaran OLE CUARTO after she broke apart and sank off Cartagena in Spain’s Murcia province on Sunday, November 14th.
OLE CUARTO had just departed the Port of Cartagena when the incident occurred at around 1620 local time on. Nearby tugs and fishing vessels as well as lifeboats from the Salvamento Maritimo SAR agency and Guardia Civil rushed to the scene to render assistance. All 33 people who were on board the catamaran were safely rescued, though 14 were brought to hospital later that day to be treated for hypothermia. One crewmember said they heard cracking noises just moments before the boat sank.
A local official told reporters on Sunday that they were able to contact the catamaran’s owner, who claimed that the vessel had passed all necessary safety inspections prior to sailing. The incident remains under investigation.
Accident images courtesy of Salvamento Maritimo
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Published – Tuesday 16th November ,2021