Disney cruise ship in Europe rescues 18 people lost at sea
By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY
There was a "magical" ending to a high seas drama in the Mediterranean on Friday as a Disney cruise ship, the Disney Magic, rescued 18 Algerians lost at sea.
A Disney spokeswoman tells USA TODAY the 2,400-passenger vessel joined the search for the Algerians while sailing from Gibraltar to Barcelona. The Algerians reportedly had been stranded on the open water for four to five days.
"The shipboard team heard crew members from two other vessels talking on the radio about sighting the boat and then losing a visual of it, so the Disney Magic then joined the search and quickly spotted the small boat, which had lost power," Disney spokeswoman Rena Langley says.
Confirming a first-hand account from a passenger posted at a
Disney fan site over the weekend, Langley says the Disney Magic took the stranded Algerians aboard and provided them with food and cabins.
