16 Cuban Migrants Rescued by Cruise Ship; James Harrison Posts Photos
Out on the Gulf of Mexico, one of the Carnival Cruise Line ships was able to encounter and pick up 16 Cuban migrants on Saturday, Feb 27. The news was confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Carnival Sensation was able to chance upon the sailboat carrying 15 men and a woman during their voyage on the northern region of Cuba according to Carnival spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz, FOX News reported.
Jon-Paul Rio, a Coast Guard petty officer, said that the migrants would be placed in the custody of immigration officials in Mexico where the ship would stop by at Cozumel.
The trip on board the Carnival Cruise Line ship is a "Legends of Pittsburgh" themed trip, which included some athletes and musicians, according to a report from ABC13.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who was part of the themed trip, took photos of the incident and posted them on Instagram.
"We just stopped for this boat with 16 people in the middle of the ocean. Waiting for coast guard now," wrote Harrison in the caption of one of his Instagram posts.
The voyage of the cruise started out on Thursday, Feb. 25, when it left the port back in Miami, FOX News added. The Carnival Cruise Line ship was sailing for a four-day itinerary when they encountered the immigrants' sailboat out in the open sea of the Gulf of Mexico.
The cruise was on its way to the Key West at that time. The trip's destination also included Cozumel that would complete the ship's voyage lasting for four days.
Also on board the Carnival Cruise Line ship were other players and former players who played for Pittsburgh during their career. Some of these legends and sports icons include Rocky Bleier, Antonio Brown, Demontti Dawson and Donnie Shell.
Also joining the group were former professional baseball player and catcher Manny Sanguillen of the Pittsburgh Pirates and former professional ice hockey players Ken Wregget, Bryan Trottier and Francis Leroux of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While such encounters on the sea was not frequent, they are also not exactly out of the ordinary, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. For instance, another cruise ship, a Disney Cruise Line, was also able to come upon and rescue another group of 12 reported migrants, says ABC13.
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