Dozens of cruise ship guests had to be rescued from the water following the capsizing of their small tour boat during an excursion near Cartagena, Colombia.
All the mostly German and Austrian guests were rescued safely. They are guests aboard the AIDAbella cruise ship.
German, Austrian Guests Rescued Off Colombian Coast
AIDA Cruises is the Germany-based Carnival Corp-owned line. The ship had docked in Cartagena, Colombia.
The small boat ran into trouble after being battered by strong winds and rough seas and capsized near the Barú Peninsula.
Other boats in the vicinity as well as the Colombia Coast Guard came to the rescue and all 38 guests and two cruise ship crew members were brought ashore safely.
A spokesperson for the Cartagena city government confirmed no significant injuries were reported.
A video clip of the incident was posted online showing the guests wearing life vests afloat in the water beside the overturned vessel.
¡𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐥! 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐮́ 𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐚 @GaulaPolicia @ArmadaColombia @AlcaldiaCTG @dumek_turbay @baru pic.twitter.com/aZvdVfNTpp
— HT24 (@HT24___) March 20, 2025
Baru Isle, about one hour south of Cartagena, is noted for its beaches and clear waters for snorkeling. AIDAbella is on a two-week Caribbean cruise itinerary.
The guests were transported back to their ship after being evaluated by medical personnel and the ship was able to depart from Cartagena in the early evening as scheduled.
It Was the Second Small Tour Boat to Sink in The Area So Far This Month
Coast Guard chief Felipe Portilla said the tourists consisted of 36 Germans and two Austrian nationals.
He said the capsizing was caused by the strong winds and high waves.
Earlier this month, the Colombia Coast Guard was involved in the rescue of 42 people when a small tour boat sank in the same area during bad weather.
All passengers on that boat were also rescued safely.
