Four grateful boaters owe their lives to the passengers and crew of the premium cruise ship, MSC Poesia. The cruise passengers spotted the boaters and alerted the ship’s captain, who contacted the US Coast Guard. Read about the dramatic rescue at sea in this press release from MSC:

MSC Poesia Crew Assists in Rescue of Four Passengers
of Capsized Boat in Miami Over the Weekend

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (February 10, 2010) – MSC Poesia was the first point of contact in assisting the US Coast Guard with the rescue of four passengers from a small, capsized boat over the weekend off the coast of Miami, Fla.

MSC Poesia was headed for the Western Caribbean after departing Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. at 7 p.m. on February 6. A few hours later at 9 p.m. a small boat was spotted by the MSC Poesia.

Captain Giacomo Romano notified the US Coast Guard, and for the next 30-minutes, rescue efforts were underway. All four people survived 12-hours in the choppy and cold waters, and were safely taken onboard the US Coast Guard vessel.

Then, MSC Poesia continued her voyage without any delays to Key West, her next port-of- call on the 7-night cruise.

One of the survivors expressed his gratitude for the rescue. “It was challenging to stay positive. The MSC Poesia was one of our last chances for survival. Our families owe you our lives,” said Michael Colon.

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