Two British tourists are among 20 people who survived after the sailing boat they were travelling on was struck by a cargo vessel and sank off Colombia's Caribbean coast. The incident happened in the early hours of January 3, near Cartagena, as the vessel was nearing the end of a five-day trip from Panama to Colombia.
Colombian naval officers responded to a distress call received at 4.40am local time and dispatched rapid response units. The passengers and crew had already abandoned the sinking boat and boarded life rafts. Footage published by the navy showed rescuers helping the survivors to safety and taking them to dry land, where they were checked by doctors. All 20 people were reported unharmed.
The captain of the sailing boat, Rudolf Gamberoni, said a small cargo vessel without lights hit them, making a large hole in the side. He added that the boat sank within minutes and praised the coastguards for their swift rescue. The cargo ship reportedly continued without stopping, and police were attempting to identify it.
Among those rescued were two British nationals, six Germans, four French people, two Swiss, three Colombians, and one person each from Italy, Belgium and Turkey. The two British tourists, who have not been named, are believed to have joined the trip on December 30, departing from the San Blas Islands in Panama.
Colombia's Ministry of Defence confirmed the rescue, stating that 20 people were saved near Cartagena. Commander Felipe Portilla of the Cartagena Coastguard Station said the group consisted of the captain, three crew members, and 16 passengers. The survivors were seen embracing and crying after reaching land.
