While sailing in Southern Caribbean sea out of Antigua to Curacao last week (December 16), Captain McCue’s cruiser Celebrity Summit responded to distress call from a sailboat.
One of the tenders of the ship was launched to transport the 6 surviving sailors back to the cruise liner.
The survivors had spent more than a month at sea, of which the previous 6 days without food. They were heading from Haiti to Guadeloupe when they lost their sails and rudder and were taking on water.
After receiving first aid and gifts from Summit's crew, the survivors debarked when the ship docked in Curacao.
A couple of the surviving women were pregnant, which brings the total number saved to 8.
Captain Kate McCue is the first American female cruise ship captain.