(CNN) -- A crippled cruise ship stranded off the coast of Mexico with nearly 4,500 people onboard got some additional help for its journey toward San Diego, California, on Wednesday morning.
A second tugboat joined in the effort to tow the Carnival Splendor to land late Tuesday night, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Rachel Polish said.
A third tugboat was also assisting in the escort, she said.
The Splendor had been stranded about 130 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, on Tuesday, a day after it lost power following an engine-room fire, Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement. The ship has almost 3,300 passengers and about 1,200 crew members onboard.
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier resupplied the cruise ship Tuesday evening. Sailors stood on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan in 50-yard lines, handing off boxes of water, frozen bread, sandwich meats, granola bars, paper plates and more for the Splendor.
Navy pilot Tamara Graham and Chief Petty Officer Steve Sinclair said they made 15 round trips from the USS Ronald Reagan to the stranded cruise ship.
"When we first showed up on scene, [passengers] were taking pictures, and flash bulbs were going off everywhere," Sinclair said. "Once we dropped our equipment, we were getting a lot of waves".
"I am pretty sure that was not on the program for the Carnival cruise to have helicopters onboard and have an aircraft carrier nearby," Graham said.
The USS Ronald Reagan received 60,000 pounds of food, bottled water and supplies by airlift for the cruise ship, said Cmdr. Greg Hicks, spokesman of the U.S. Third Fleet.
"We were on maneuvers necessary to get the crew ready for deployment," Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows told a CNN journalist on the carrier. "But we were more than happy to respond and excited to be a part of helping the cruise ship".
CNN
