Video: AIDA Cruise Ship Rescues Four People from Burning Fishing Boat

Passengers starting a week-long cruise aboard the cruise ship AIDAnova got to witness a rescue operation on Sunday afternoon, October 18. The German cruise ship was making its way from Kiel, Germany, to Norway when it was alerted to reports of smoke and then flames coming from a fishing vessel in the Skagerrak between Norway and Denmark.

Norway’s Southern rescue force dispatched a helicopter to the scene and put out a call for vessels in the area to respond. The 183,858 gross ton cruise ship, which carries more than 5,200 passengers, was on the first day of a cruise from Germany to Bergen, Geiranger, Alesund, and Stavanger, Norway. The Color Line SuperSpeed 1 ferry heading toward Kristiansand, Norway, also changed course to standby.

Passengers aboard the cruise posted videos and pictures of flames and smoke coming from the fishing boat as their ship was positioned nearby. It put down one of its fast launches, and the crew made their way to the burning boat. The four people aboard the fishing boat had already abandoned their ship and were in a liferaft.

Danish authorities also placed a helicopter on standby to assist with the operation. They reported the unnamed fishing boat was registered in Denmark.

The four people from the fishing boat were taken aboard the cruise ship and reported to be uninjured.

After the rescue, the cruise ship resumed its trip to Norway with the four survivors aboard. There was no word as to what caused the fire aboard the fishing vessel.