Brownwood Residents Among Thousands Stuck on Cruise Ship Adrift in the Gulf of Mexico

Michael and Sandra Richardson and Paul and Starleen Cline, all of Brownwood, are among the 3143 guests and 1086 crew members aboard the cruise ship Carnival Triumph, which experienced a fire in the aft engine room on Sunday morning. The ship is reported to be floating approximately 150 miles off of the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula according to a Carnival news release.

A press release states that the fire was extinguished by automated systems and that there were no casualties to guests or crews. The ship has maintained emergency generator power since the fire occurred and the technical team on board has been successful in gradually restoring auxiliary power to operation some basic hotel functions, including some public and cabin toilets in certain sections of the ship, and power to a limited amount of elevators and one dining room for limited hot food service and hot coffee. Guests are reported to be supplied with food and refreshments throughout the day on Sunday and into Monday morning and that the ship's supplies are ample to last until the vessel returns to port.

On Sunday afternoon, the Carnival Elation rendezvoused with the Carnival Triumph and supplied dinners for the guests on the Triumph, along with additional provisions, according to Carnival's release, and that Monday morning another cruise ship, the Carnival Legend, was scheduled to do the same.

According to Fox News, family of the passengers state conditions are not as favorable as the ship has had no running water.

The ship had departed on February 7 and was reported to be on its way back to port in Galveston, Texas, expected to arrive on Monday, February 11; however, now sitting adrift, its guests are waiting for Tug boats which have been dispatched to tow the ship to port in Progreso, Mexico, where it is expected to arrive on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement on Carnival Cruise Lines' Facebook page.

The Carnival news release also stated that guests of the ship will be flown from Progreso back to the U.S. (at Carnival's expense) and offered a refund and cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage. Guests will also be refunded their transportation expenses and all purchases made on the ship.

The Triumph's next two voyages, scheduled for Monday and Saturday, have been cancelled and refunds for future cruises will also be issued to those who had booked the trips.