The incident occurred while the 5 Star Marine vessel was en route with guests when its guide, identified as Yaya, and her crew spotted the distressed boat and stopped to provide assistance.
The company said the decision was made immediately and was in line with its internal safety policy requiring crews to assist any vessel in distress when it is safe to do so, regardless of commercial considerations.
“Our priority is, and always will be, human life,” said Shaun Stenning, Managing Director of 5 Star Marine. “On land we may compete, but at sea we cooperate. No boat is our competitor when safety is involved.”
The company noted that assisting vessels in distress is a long-established maritime obligation recognised internationally, including under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Mr Stenning, who is also Owner and CEO of the company, said the principle is fundamental to professional maritime operations.
“If another vessel is in trouble and you are in a position to help safely, then you help,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who they are or what company they work for. At sea, those labels simply don’t exist.”
He added that failure to assist a vessel in distress, when it can be done safely, is widely regarded within the maritime industry as unethical and, in some jurisdictions, legally negligent.
“At sea there are no brands and no competitors,” Shaun said. “There are only people, boats and lives.”
5 Star Marine said the actions of Guide Yaya and her crew reflected training and expectations applied across the company, describing assistance to vessels in distress as a professional responsibility rather than a marketing exercise.
No injuries were reported in the incident, and no further details were released regarding the condition of the assisted vessel.