Cruise ship Mardi Gras rescues 16 people stranded at sea

A small vessel navigating rough waters that was spotted in distress on Friday was rescued by crew members aboard the Mardi Gras, according to a release from Carnival Cruise line’s blog.

Crew members stopped to help before 8 a.m. on Friday as the ship headed toward Florida.

Sixteen people — 11 men and five women — were stranded in the open sea near Cuba. The Mardi Gras crew took them onboard for safety. They were seen by medical staff and given food and clothes, the release said.

The group was safely taken to a Coast Guard cutter around 2:45 p.m.

Mardi Gras was on its final day of a seven-day sail. It will return to its homeport today in Port Canaveral, Fla.