Cruise ship strikes reef near Tom Hanks’ iconic ‘Cast Away’ island, sparking rescue at sea

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A small cruise ship struck a reef near the island where theTom Hanks’movie “Cast Away” was filmed — and the operator has now shed light on what led to the incident.

The April 4 collision occurred when one of its vessels hit a finger reef nearMonuriki Island in Fijiduring worsening weather conditions, according to Blue Lagoon Cruises.

“While the investigation is in its early stages, conditions upon the ship anchoring in the area were calm, and it appears a severe squall caused the ship’s anchor to drag toward a nearby reef whereby the ship became grounded,�

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“The response time available for crew was limited,” the operator added.

Blue Lagoon Cruisessaid roughly 30 passengers were on board at the time.Citing Fiji navy sources, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the vessel was also carrying about 30 crew members.

Small cruise ship has emergency rescue near Tom Hanks

Blue Lagoon Cruises struck a reef and needed an emergency evacuation near the island used for filming the beloved Tom Hanks “Cast Away” film.

Around dawn, a large high-speed ferry arrived alongside the vessel to assist with the evacuation.

All guests and non-essential crew disembarked with their luggage and personal belongings, according to Blue Lagoon Cruises.

Passengers were transported back to Port Denarau, where Blue Lagoon Cruises arrangedhotel accommodations, along with alternative activities and experiences, the company said.

Cruise ship needs a rescue from a larger ship near Tom Hanks

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, grossed over $429 million worldwide.(Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

In 2024, aNew Zealand naval vesselgrounded on a reef near Samoa caught fire and sank, requiring evacuation of all crew, according to a New Zealand Defense Force inquiry.

white sandy beaches, rocky cliffs and dense tropical vegetation, surrounded by water and coral reefs.

Monuriki Island is a small, uninhabited island in Fiji’s Mamanuca archipelago

Monuriki Island is known for its white sandy beaches, rocky cliffs and dense tropical vegetation.(iStock)

Its remote, untouched landscape made it a perfect filming location for the 2000 movie “Cast Away,” starring Tom Hanks.

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Since the film’s release, Monuriki has become a popular day-trip destination, often informally called “Castaway Island” (not to be confused with a nearby resort island with that name).