Ecolux de Baleària ferry rescue. | Toni Ruiz

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17 passengers had to be rescued when the Ecolux de Baleària ferry ran aground on the Castaví islet, near Es Freus at around 21:30 on Tuesday night.

“None of the 12 passengers and five crew members who were on board at the time suffered any injury”, according to the Baleària Shipping Company.

Maritime Rescue evacuated everyone onto a semi-rigid inflatable boat manned by Baleària personnel and the passengers arrived safe and sound at La Savina port at around 23:40.

The minute we crashed all the lights on the boat went off and the alarms sounded,” said María Zamorano who was a passenger on the boat. “They asked us to stay seated and told us that water was entering the boat,” she added, saying that she wasn’t afraid "but there were some children on the boat and they were scared."

061 Emergency Services sent an advanced Life Support ambulance to La Savina port to wait for the rescue boat carrying the rescued passengers.

Some people were treated for mild hypothermia but none of the passengers or crew had to be taken to hospital.