Amver participating cruise ship saves two sailors from deserted Pacific island

The Amver participating cruise ship Celebrity Solstice rescued two sailors from a deserted island after their 37-foot sailboat was damaged after running aground on a deserted island near Malden Island, Kiribati on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

The two sailors were on a voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii when they ran aground on a reef and radioed a family member their boat was damaged but they were safe on the island. The family member then contacted U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel in Hawaii.

Rescue personnel used Amver to locate the Celebrity Solstice only 184 miles from the stranded sailors. The captain of the 963-foot ship agreed to divert and rescue the sailors. The cruise ship was able to communicate with the sailors by radio and instructed them to hike to a suitable location for the cruise ship to land a rescue boat. The two survivors were taken aboard the cruise ship and transported back to Hawaii.

The Celebrity Solstice enrolled in Amver on October 28, 2008 and has earned six Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: contributed photo