Medical experts at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital are assessing and treating the injured guests from Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit who were involved in a bus crash on the Caribbean island of Dominica Monday.
The 14 tourists were transported from Dominica’s Princess Margaret Hospital to South Florida yesterday onboard three air ambulances and one additional aircraft chartered by Celebrity cruises. A hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday that five of the tourists were listed in critical condition, two in serious, four in fair and one in good condition. Miami television stations are reporting that the injuries range from broken bones to internal injuries to cuts and bruises.
In a statement issued after Tuesday’s bus crash, Celebrity Cruises said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with our injured guests and their families. We’ll continue to do our very best to assist them in the aftermath of this unfortunate incident.”
According to Celebrity Cruises, 16 passengers were injured when their bus apparently lost control and drove into a ditch while it was returning to the ship from a shore excursion. Fourteen of the 16 injured guests from Celebrity Summit who were involved in a bus accident Monday in Roseau, Dominica, will arrive at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami around midnight on Wednesday.
“We are working diligently to further assist our guests in their return to the U.S. and their transition to Jackson Memorial Hospital,” said Dan Hanrahan, president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Cruises. “Our care will be ongoing as we assist them during their time in South Florida and in the process of returning home.”
All 16 guests onboard the bus were immediately transported to the local Princess Margaret Hospital for care.
The passengers sustained injuries, including broken bones, bumps, bruises and lacerations, however, three people were more seriously injured, according to the cruise line. Five of the 16 injured were treated and released from the hospital Monday.
Five staff members from the ship, including a nurse, stayed with the remaining 11 passengers that were hospitalized overnight. Additional personnel, including specially trained members of Celebrity Cruises’ Guest Care Team and an additional nurse arrived in Roseau Tuesday morning to escort the injured passengers and their traveling companions during the flights to South Florida.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our injured guests and their families,” said Hanrahan in a prepared press release. “We’ll continue to do our very best to assist them in the aftermath of this unfortunate accident.”
The passengers were returning from a Caribbean Cooking Adventure shore excursion, in which they joined local culinary experts to learn how to prepare and present traditional Caribbean dishes. The three-and-a-half hour excursion concluded with a scenic drive through Roseau before returning to the pier.
Celebrity Summit is currently sailing a seven-night Caribbean cruise that departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, February 21, and concludes there on Saturday, February 28. The ships port calls include Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Roseau, Dominica; St. Georges, Granada; Scarborough, Tobago; and Bridgetown, Barbados.