(CMR) A 75-year-old woman died after a ferry boat carrying cruise passengers partially sank in the Bahamas on Tuesday, 14 November.
According to Maritime Executive, at about 09:30 a.m., a two-deck passenger ferry departed Paradise Island, Nassau, on a routine tourist run to Blue Lagoon Island when tragedy struck.
The ferry was reportedly nearing its destination when it appeared to maneuver abruptly and began taking on water on the main deck level. All passengers donned life jackets and moved to the high side of the top deck level.
“One of the crewmembers who was downstairs ran upstairs and was crying, absolutely bawling, and grabbing a life jacket. That's when everybody was like . . . this is real, something's happening,” a tourist on the boat posted on TikTok.
Local authorities, including the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Blue Lagoon, and other nearby vessels, all assisted in rescuing guests, most of whom jumped into the water as the vessel began to sink.
According to Cruise Hive, it is unknown whether or not the 75-year-old woman who died had pre-existing health concerns that could have been aggravated by the frightening incident.
Two other guests were taken to the hospital as a precaution, no other serious injuries have been reported.
The vessel came to rest on the bottom, which was relatively shallow. Most of the top deck was still visible above the water.
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