Three Quebec maritime students return home after being stranded in the Persian Gulf

By Canadian Press on March 21, 2026.

MONTREAL — The director of Quebec’s maritime institute says three students who were stuck in the Persian Gulf for more than two weeks are in good spirits after returning home.

The students arrived yesterday in Quebec after flying from Saudi Arabia to London, then on to Canada.

The trainees from the maritime institute were part of a program with Quebec-based shipping company Desgagnés and were stationed on two vessels in the region.

The ships have been stuck since Feb. 28, when Iran blocked most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as part of the ongoing war in the region.

Mélanie Leblanc, director of the maritime institute, says she spoke with two of the students via video conference yesterday.

The students and their families are declining media interviews for now, according to a maritime institute statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2026.

The Canadian Press

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