A recent report states that some terrified tourists stranded on the Caribbean Island of St Thomas during Hurricane Irma were left stuck when a rescue ship from Hotel Marriott did not allow non-hotel guests to board the vessel for safety.
The monster storm with a wind speed of nearly 185mph left the tropical islands in destruction, claiming at least 22 lives. The tourists who were there on the island to enjoy their holiday were reportedly shocked when the staff on the ship told them they could not accommodate anyone who had not booked their stay with Marriott.
The ship left with nearly 200 vacant seats, leaving the rest of the tourists behind, according to The Mirror. Pier lights of the ship were then reportedly turned off to disperse the stranded group accumulate near the vessel.
As the wind speed began catching pace, the stranded tourists took to social media expressing their disgust at being left on the dock by the rescue boat. The tourists were left on the US Virgin Island, where much of the electricity, water supply and gas had been cut off.
Most of the roads on the island were also blocked because of debris falling from trees and buildings. A part of the International Airport terminal was also torn to the ground. The tourists stranded on the island were left in want of food and water as local shops and hotels sold out of provisions.
"They shut the lights off here in order to get us to go. This was a decision of Marriott who did not let us get on this boat so we could get on flights home. Instead, we have to ride out Hurricane Jose when we just went through Hurricane Irma a few days ago. We don't have food or water, we are stranded," Naomi Ayala, who was one of around 35 people left behind on St Thomas, said in a video.
Reports state that after the ship left, Naomi researched the passenger capacity of the Marriott rescue boat, and found out that it could hold 1,800 passengers.
In response to the posts of several people on social media, Marriott said that there was a "tight window" to pick up passengers and leave for the safety of Puerto Rico.
