Carnival cruise ship rescues stricken Cuban migrants
A cruise ship sailing in the Florida Straits has rescued 41 Cuban migrants trying to reach America.
The group were seen trying to navigate the 90-mile stretch of water between Cuba and America in an overcrowded boat.
According to Web Pro News, one Carnival Ecstasy crew member told CBS 4 News: "There were women and children onboard. There were a lot of them on there for a very small raft."
The migrants were transported to a US Coastguard ship and no injuries were reported.
A spokeswoman for Carnival, Jennifer de la Cruz, said the ship had started its journey from Key West, Florida, and was en route to Cozumel, Mexico, when the captain saw the boat and decided to pick up the migrants, who appeared to be in a perilous situation.
The Ecstasy had 2,650 passengers on board at the time.
Coastguard spokesman Gabe Somma told Reuters: "This could've been a real tragedy.
"There was no lifesaving or navigation equipment and the boat was taking on water."
According to the Daily Mail, thousands of Cubans seeking to escape the communist-led island have fled on often less-than-seaworthy vessels for decades.
Earlier this month, a Carnival ship saved 24 migrants from a wooden boat near the Cayman Islands.
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