4 women dead as boat with immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica capsizes off of Florida
At least four women died when a boat capsized early Wednesday off the coast of South Florida, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Capt. Austin Gould, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami. “This tragic case reiterates the dangers of traveling aboard an overcrowded boat at night with no safety equipment on board.”
Eleven survivors were rescued after the boat carrying mainly Haitian and Jamaican nationals turned over, Coast Guard Petty Officer Sabrina Laberdesque told the press.
The Coast Guard will question the survivors, who remain in custody, to determine if they were trying to immigrate to the US illegally or were victims of a human smuggling operation trafficking in people for sexual or other illegal purposes.
Details from the Coast Guard press release:
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received a report at about 1 a.m. from a Miami-Dade County 911 dispatch of the capsized vessel and launched a boatcrew from Station Miami Beach and an MH-65 helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami to respond.
The rescue crews arrived on scene, approximately seven miles east of Government Cut and rescued 11 people from the water. One of the survivors was medically evacuated to Station Miami Beach where emergency medical services awaited and transported him to a local hospital
The cause of capsizing is under investigation.
