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

"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," Blue Lagoon Cruises said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

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

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.

No injuries were reported among guests or crew.

In recent years, several reef groundings have led to emergency rescues. 

In 2025, the expedition ship Coral Adventurer struck a reef off Papua New Guinea, leaving about 80 passengers stranded for days, according to reporting by Cruise Passenger and an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation.

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

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

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).

Despite its fame, it remains undeveloped with no permanent residents.