RHONY Cast 'Thought They Were Going to Die' During Dangerous Boat Trip on Colombian Getaway
Cast members of The Real Housewives of New York City are home safe after a tumultuous trip to Colombia, where they found themselves on a “boat ride from hell” that sources tell PEOPLE left them “crying out for their lives” when the ship’s engine caught fire and the vessel started sinking.
Bravo is investigating the incident, which occurred during the show’s annual girls trip, the network told PEOPLE.
Bethenny Frankel, Ramona Singer, Carole Radziwill, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley and Tinsley Mortimer had traveled to the South American country earlier this month — the network’s cameras filming their getaway for RHONY‘s upcoming 10th season.
Though the New York Housewives expected luxury, a source close to production says they experienced quite the opposite during their time in Colombia. The worst of it included a disastrous boat ride to Cartagena that was sold to the women as “a sun-soaked cruise on a 5-star yacht.”
“The boat was old, beaten up and falling apart,” the insider says. “There were no amenities, no food, and a crew that didn’t know what they were doing. I mean, the anchor had to be sawed off before they even departed because it was so rusty and tangled. That’s how bad this was!”
They didn’t want to board the ship initially, “complaining right off the bat.” But production “pushed them to continue because they knew it would make good TV.”
“Ramona and Sonja did their usual [complaining],” the source says. “Carole, Dorinda, Luann, and Bethenny tried to have fun with it, as they have with a lot of the sub-par conditions they’ve experienced in Colombia, and just enjoy the ride. But even they changed their tune in the end.”
Things got worse when the boat finally left the dock. Turbulent seas caused several people to get sick. And when the boat’s engine caught on fire, the reality stars were left terrified.
“It was a disaster,” the source said. “The vessel was so shaky and the waters so rocky that the women got really sick. Things began flying off the boat. The engine caught on fire. None of the crew spoke English. None of the women felt safe. Carole and Tinsley got sick and were throwing up overboard. The others were all screaming for help. They were all scared out of the minds. They thought they were going to die out there.”
A second source close to the cast calls it “the boat ride from hell,” telling PEOPLE, “these women survived a horror show.”
“They were soaked to the bone, scared s——-, and sick by the end,” the insider explains. “They were crying out for their lives. When the ship caught on fire, they thought it was over.”
Eventually, a second boat came and recused them and the women were able to continue on with their vacation, but “the experience really ruined the rest of the trip,” the production source says. “The whole thing was a mess.”
“If anything the experience brought them together,” the cast source adds. “Any feuds that have been carrying through the season were thrown aside. They’re furious with production for putting them in that situation to begin with.”
Page Six was first to report the incident.
A Bravo spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a statement, “The Real Housewives of New York cast was recently on a boat in South America and encountered turbulent water. Thankfully, everyone is fine and was able to continue their vacation as planned. The safety of our cast and crew is paramount and, to that end, we are doing a full investigation.”
Meanwhile, that’s not all that went down in Colombia. According to sources, one cast member found herself sick with a parasite and “had to wear a diaper.” Singer was also so exhausted from the travel woes that she was spotted in a wheelchair at the airport.
“It’s going to make great TV,” a source says. “I doubt anyone will want to go to Colombia anytime soon.”
The Real Housewives of New York City is expected to return this spring on Bravo.
