A Miami boat capsized leaving four dead and 11 other taken into custody. The boat, consisting of Haitians and Jamaicans, capsized on Wednesday off the coast of South Florida.
A survivor called 911 after the small boat capsized seven miles east of Miami. The U.S. Coast Guard responded and a Miami-Dade police helicopter was sent to the area the rescue survivors, the Associated Press reports.
"Sadly, and tragically, we did find four females, adults, underneath the boat that had perished," Cmdr. Darren Caprara told the Associated Press. Many of the survivors were found clinging to the boat while another was found underneath in an air pocket.
One of the survivors was taken to Miami Beach to be treated at a hospital. He was later released by federal law enforcement. The other survivors were in good conditions and were taken into custody on a Coast Guard boat. Authorities are investigating whether those on board were involved in a human smuggling operation. It is not clear if they will be taken to the U.S. or taken back to their home countries.
"Well, obviously, 15 people on a boat, transiting in the middle of the night with no life jackets is a very, very unsafe condition," Caprara told AP. Authorities are trying to confirm that the people were Haitian and Jamaican. "That's still a lengthy process that involves contacting other countries and doing some investigatory research."
Photos show the small white boat with a missing center console. The boat was carrying too many people and didn't have life jackets.
It is common for migrants from Haiti, Cuba and other Caribbean countries to attempt to illegally enter the U.S. through Florida by overloaded boats. When the fiscal year came to an end on Sept. 30, the Coast Guard reportedly picked up 508 Haitians and 1,357 Cubans at sea. Since the new year began on Oct. 1, the Coast Guard has already picked up 93 Haitians and 117 Cubans. It is not clear how many people die while trying to make the trip to the U.S.
Typically, Cubans who are stopped at sea are sent home but those who arrive in the U.S. can usually stay under the "wet foot, dry foot" policy. Other immigrants get different treatments.
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