Photo: Panamanian Adrian Vazquez Suing Princess Cruises for ignoring him and stranded friends
Princess Cruise Lines is being sued by a young Panamanian man who says the U.S. cruise line refused to stop when the boat he and his friends were on broke down.
Adrian Vazquez, 18, and his friends, Fernando Osorio, 16, and Elvis Oropeza, 31, had gone out on the waters of Rio Hato off of Panama’s Pacific coast for some nighttime fishing on February 24.
As the men heading back to shore, their boat’s motor broke. For more than 2 weeks, the men floated with no hope in sight, that is, until they spotted a Princess Cruise Line ship on March 10.
However, what hope the ship sighting had provided them was soon lost as well, as it never stopped or provided assistance of any kind.
Princess Cruises say the none of the crew members were informed of the drifting ship, so the captain did not stop. Contrary to this claim however, cruise ship passengers Jeff Gilligan and Judy Meredith have publicly stated they saw the boat and informed
After drifting more than 600 miles from Rio Hato the fishermen were found on March 22 near Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Unfortunately, Osorio and Oropeza did not survive.
Vazquez’s lawyer Edna Ramos says the negligence lawsuit includes testimony from both Gilligan and Meredith.
