Carnival Cruise Ship Rescues 16 From a Boat in Rough Weather

[Brief] The cruise ship Mardi Gras rescued the occupants of a small boat from rough waters near Cuba on Friday, according to Carnival Cruise Line. 

While operating about 60 nm west of Key West, the crew of the Mardi Gras spotted a small boat with 16 people on board. The cruise ship diverted to assist and safely rescued all aboard, including 11 men and five women. 

All of the survivors were Cuban nationals. They were provided with food, clothing and medical evaluation, then transferred to a U.S. Coast Guard cutter later the same day. The Mardi Gras continued her commercial voyage and returned to her home port of Port Canaveral on Saturday. 

The boat's occupants may have narrowly missed disaster. A gathering storm brought heavy rains and flooding to southern Florida over the weekend, and it developed into a named tropical storm early on Sunday. It delivered a record-setting 6.5 inches of rain in a day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and nearly as much in Miami. In Cuba, the town of San Diego recorded nearly a foot of rain, resulting in heavy flooding and at least three deaths.