DOZENS of cruise passengers were left floundering in the sea after a day trip catamaran sank in the Caribbean.
The boat – carrying passengers from the Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship – went down on Sunday afternoon off the coast of the Dominican Republic.
Footage shows people bobbing around in the water – reportedly 55 in all – as the Dominican Navy arrived to rescue them.
Seamen were seen tossing life rings to the stricken passengers before hauling them to safety.
Only the light blue tip of the boat could be seen poking above the surface, with the rest of the vessel submerged beneath the water.
Boca de Yuma – a 40ft catamaran – had been taking the group on a sightseeing day trip after setting off from the port in Embat.
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With a full load, it began taking on water and then sank rapidly, according to local media reports.
Authorities said the boat sustained “internal hull damage”, which caused the catastrophic leak.
The crew sent out an emergency call, and local rescuers were quickly dispatched to the scene.
Thankfully, all the passengers were wearing life jackets and made it out unscathed.
The port authority of Samaná said: “The Dominican Republic Navy is working closely with local authorities to identify those responsible and take measures to prevent such an incident from happening again.”
The main cruise ship is on a voyage across the Atlantic.
It set off from New York on October 23, heading for Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The nationalities of the passengers on the trip isn’t currently known.