A Spanish registered cruise ship, the 'Vistamar,' on its way from Palma, Mallorca to Malaga in southern Spain collided with a warning beacon 3 miles off the coast of Formentera on Thursday.
The impact tore a hole in the outer shell of the ship and water immediately started to pour in causing the ship to list at a dangerous angle. The Captain immediately put all 278 passengers and crew on emergency alert, and decided to limp to the safety of the new mooring dyke in nearby Ibiza harbour. Once there, everybody on board was evacuated with only their most valuable possessions and transferred to nearby hotels.
Technicians who immediately moved in to stem the flow of water feared that the ship may sink right next to the new dyke as it was by now listing at an angle of more than 22 degrees. However after a seven-hour battle the holes in the hull were capped and firemen pumped out all the excess water. What caused the accident remains a mystery and will be the subject of a thorough investigation as much bigger ships regularly navigate these waters without problems.