Boat Carrying Migrants From Jamaica, Haiti Capsizes Near Miami

By: - October 16th, 2013

Above: a US Coast Guard cutter in Miami

By the Caribbean Journal staff

MIAMI — A boat carrying migrants from Haiti and Jamaica capsized off the coast of Miami early Wednesday morning, killing at least four people, according to the US Coast Guard.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard said it received a report around 1 AM from a Miami-Dade County 911 dispatch about the vessel, which capsized about seven miles off the coast of Miami.

The Coast Guard managed to rescue 11 people, with one of the survivors medically evacuated.

It’s still not clear why the boat capsized, although officials said it was under investigation.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Captain 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.”

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