39 foreign tourists among 42 rescued after Colombia boat sinks in Caribbean Sea

More than 40 tourists were rescued from the Caribbean Sea off Colombia after the boat carrying them to a paradise island near the colonial city of Cartagena sank, the navy said Monday.

The shipwreck took place on Sunday, about an hour after the vessel set sail from Cartagena for Isla Palma, about an hour-and-a-half to the south.

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An Ecuadoran tourist told Colombia's Caracol TV that the boat's prow collapsed and the vessel started to take in water.

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"The boat flipped and fell on top of us," another tourist, who also hailed from Ecuador, told the channel.

A fisherman told local media he rescued 10 of the tourists and the coastguard rescued 32 other passengers, according to the navy.

The navy released pictures of the rescue operation, which showing people floating wearing life jackets floating in the water.

Of the 42 people rescued, 39 were foreigners, from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. The rest were Colombian.

The cause of the shipwreck was not yet known.

The navy said none of the passengers had required urgent medical attention and that all were in good health.