<p>A Carnival cruise ship rescued 44 Haitians from a sinking motorboat in the Caribbean on Friday morning. The Carnival Liberty, one of the Miami-based company's largest ships, was off the northeast coast of Cuba when the crew on the bridge spotted the boat, according to Tim Gallagher, a spokesman for the cruiseline.</p><p>Gallagher said the Liberty crew notified the Coast Guard, then sent a rescue vessel to the sinking boat and took the passengers onto the cruise ship. Once onboard, all the migrants were inspected by the Liberty's medical team and given food, water, clothes and mattresses to rest on.</p><p>Liberty passengers observed as the refugees were brought onboard.</p><p>''There were hundreds of people watching the whole thing,'' said Leslie Pelton, a Liberty passenger from Bowie, Md. ``When they brought them aboard, everyone was cheering and clapping.''</p><p>Coast Guard Petty Officer Nick Ameen said it was unusual for a cruise ship to rescue refugees at sea. ''We're certainly grateful when they pick them up,'' Ameen said.</p><p>Ameen said the 44 Haitians were floating on a 27-foot-long boat, and that the motors had fallen off and the boat was taking on water.</p><p>On Friday night, the Coast Guard cutter Venturist rendezvoused with the Liberty. Two inflatable Coast Guard boats shuttled the refugees off the Liberty and onto the Venturist. During the transfer, some of the refugees wore Carnival bathrobes to guard against the wind and cold.</p><p>On Saturday morning, one of the migrants, a woman in her mid-30s, collapsed and died onboard the Venturist, Ameen said. He said she had been inspected by Liberty's doctors and Coast Guard medical staff, and was considered healthy. The cause of death is not known.</p><p>The Haitians also reported that before their boat encountered the Liberty, six migrants had died and were buried at sea, according to Ameen.</p><p>Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard Venturist transferred the refugees to another cutter, the Diligence. At 2 p.m. Monday, the 43 surviving Haitians, as well as the deceased woman's body, were repatriated to the city of Cap Haitien.</p><p>''Originally, there were fifty people on that boat,'' Ameen said. ``Forty-three returned to Haiti. This just shows what happens when you go out to sea unprepared. It's dangerous out there.''</p><p>The Liberty had departed Miami Aug. 16 for a tour of the western Caribbean. It returned to Miami behind schedule Saturday morning, and left again Saturday night.</p><p>Karen Nestor, a Liberty passenger from Middleborough, Mass., said the incident didn't sully her vacation. ''We had a fantastic time,'' she said. ``I would definitely do it again.''</p><p>&nbsp;</p>