Princess Cruises: Captain Was Never Notified of Distressed Fisherman

The Princess Cruise’s captain being accused of turning his back on fellow mariners in distress says that neither him nor the officer on watch were ever notified of the distressed fisherman and the accusations have “devastated” him.

Princess Cruises, owner of the Star Princess cruise ship, says they are conducting an investigation into the incident aboard the vessel alleging that the Captain and crew knowingly past by 3 young fisherman adrift in the Pacific Ocean that were spotted frantically waving for help and reported to the ships crew by a group of bird-watching passengers. Two of the fisherman, ages 16 and 24, later died of dehydration in the hours and days following the encounter.

“The preliminary results of our investigation have shown that there appeared to be a breakdown in communication in relaying the passenger’s concern,” Princess Cruises says in a statement. “Neither Captain Edward Perrin nor the officer of the watch were notified. Understandably, Captain Perrin is devastated that he is being accused of knowingly turning his back on people in distress. Had the Captain received this information, he would have had the opportunity to respond.”

Princess Cruise’s notes that the company and its employees understand that a responsibility and the law of the sea is to provide assistance to any vessel in distress, and the company adds that Princess Cruise’s ships have been involved in more than 30 at-sea rescues over the last ten years.

The company says that they “deeply regret this incident” and are “continuing our investigation to fully understand the circumstances.”