Carnival Cruise Ship Rescues 4 People And 3 Dogs Stranded In Pacific Ocean

May 24, 2025

A routine cruise turned into a life-saving mission when the crew aboard Carnival Splendor rescued four people and three dogs stranded at sea in the South Pacific.

cruise ship saves boaters and dogs
The rescued Credit: Carnival

The ship, which departed Sydney on Monday for an 8-day cruise to Vanuatu and New Caledonia, was notified early Thursday morning by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Noumea about a distress call from a disabled catamaran. The vessel was located approximately 170 nautical miles off the coast of New Caledonia.

Carnival Splendor diverted course and reached the catamaran after a five-hour journey through rough seas. The rescue team brought the two couples and their three dogs safely aboard the cruise ship, where they are now receiving food, water, and medical care.

“We were stuck in an interesting position. We got demasted, lost our engines, and after we got demasted, it was stuck under the boat, and it was hitting it on every big wave,” one of the rescuers said in a video obtained by ABC News.

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A cruise ship has come to the rescue of four people and three dogs stranded in the middle of the night, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They'd left the Gold Coast bound for Fiji when trouble struck, and before long more than 3,000 people were on their way to help. #7NEWS

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The stormy conditions only made matters worse.

“It was like four to five meters swell, 30 to 40 knot winds, and we're in this massive lightning storm, and the swell was coming over the boat,” they said. “Yeah, we were dead in the water, 170 nautical miles off of New Caledonia with the three puppies.”

Despite the unexpected detour, Carnival Splendor remains on schedule and the four survivors (and their dogs) are getting a short cruise.