Florida Capsized Boat: Coast Guard to Call Off Search After 4 More Bodies of Migrants Discovered
The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday called off the search and rescue on the boat that capsized off the coast of Florida over the weekend, as they discovered four more bodies of migrants who boarded the said vehicle.
Coast Guard Captain Jo-Ann Burdian admitted at a news conference on Thursday it was "likely" that anyone else survived the tragedy, New York Post reported.
"We've had good visibility. We know we're in the right area. We've overflown the vessel a number of times and have found additional deceased persons. It does mean we don't think it's likely that anyone else has survived," Burdian noted.
Burdian also added that they will not receive "additional specific information" that will help in redirecting their search. They will have to "suspend the active searching."
The search for the remaining 34 people ended at sunset on Thursday.
Despite ceasing the deployment of active resources in the area, the Coast Guard captain noted that they are not yet closing the case.
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Florida Capsized Boat: Death Toll Rises to 5
On Thursday, the Coast guard recovered at least four more bodies of migrants who boarded the boat that capsized off the coast of Florida. Authorities did not release further details on the recovered bodies such as their identities.
The recovery of four bodies rose the death toll of the tragedy to five..
It can be recalled that Burdian confirmed on Wednesday that their agency recovered the first body of a migrant, which was also not identified, USA Today reported. The Coast Guard captain did not mention the exact date and time when the said victim was discovered.
The discovery of the bodies came after a survivor of the tragedy was discovered by a boat towing container from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida. The boat that discovered the survivor was known to be the Signet Intruder which was owned by the Signet Maritime Corporation.
"They spotted something drifting in the water but were too far away to see what it was... So they came in closer and once they saw him they all got excited to help him on board and make sure he was OK," Signet Maritime Corporation Operations Manager Joshua Nelson said.
Florida Capsized Boat: Authorities Say Tragedy Stemmed Out From Huma Smuggling
The Miami Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an inquiry on the incident, contending that the migrants' journey may be a part of a human smuggling operation.
HSI Miami Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury said that the goal of their probe is to "identify, arrest, and prosecute" those responsible for the migrant's journey that led to their death.
The boat that capsized in Florida happened after a group of 40 migrants departed in Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night. The survivor said that that same night, they encountered rough weather, while no one on board was wearing life jackets.
The said boat overturned on Sunday about 72 kilometers east of Fort Pierce Inlet, off Florida's Atlantic coast. The said area was midway between Miami and Cape Canaveral.
The nationalities of the migrants in the capsized boat in Florida were still unclear.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
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