The Daily Echo reports on the remarkable story of Syrian refugees rescued today at sea.

One of the unlikely heroes is the Princess Cruises cruise ship Crown Princess which responded to the plight of 158 refugees escaping the bloodshed in Syria in an un-seaworthy vessel consisting of 44 children, 20 women and 94 men. The refugees were spotted 100 miles off the coast of Sicily. 

The situation was particularly dramatic with a pregnant Syrian woman was hoisted into an Italian Coast Guard helicopter which flew the woman to a hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania, where the woman gave birth to a baby girl shortly after the helicopter landed. 

Princess Cruises received a boatload of bad press when the Star Princess allegedly sailed past a fishing boat in distress following which two men died at sea and one young man suffered greatly. Princess denied that it observed or abandoned the fishing vessel and submitted evidence that the claim was unfounded.        

Take a look at the video of the rescue below.

It you have photos or video, contact us. We will post them here and on our Facebook page. 

September 19 2013 Update: The Daily Mail has some amazing photos of the rescue.

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Photo and Video Credit: Daily Echo