40 Rescued, Others Missing After Boat Capsizes West of Puerto Rico
The U.S. Coast Guard reported two people dead and ongoing rescue efforts after a makeshift vessel capsized, with survivors indicating a fight preceded the incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued at least 40 people from open waters after their boat capsized several miles west of Puerto Rico, officials said Monday. Two individuals were found deceased, and survivors reported that approximately 60 people were aboard the vessel.
Rescue operations were still underway Monday evening. Survivors had been in the water for more than 12 hours when a passing boat spotted them near Mona Island around noon on Monday and alerted authorities, facilitating the initial rescue of four individuals.
The makeshift boat reportedly capsized late Sunday following a violent altercation that resulted in severe injuries inflicted by a machete. This led to many aboard jumping into the water without life vests.
It remains unclear where the individuals originated from. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that this information was not immediately available.
Migrant journeys from Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, to Puerto Rico and surrounding islands are common, often undertaken to escape poverty and violence. These voyages frequently occur on precarious makeshift vessels that are prone to capsizing in rough seas, such as the Mona Passage.
This incident marks the latest in a series of deadly voyages. In June 2022, 11 Haitian girls and women died after the overloaded boat they were traveling in capsized northwest of Puerto Rico. Last week, Haitian migrants were detained by police in the Turks and Caicos Islands on a makeshift boat carrying 60 people. In June, another 240 migrants from Haiti were apprehended near the archipelago.
Haiti is experiencing a significant displacement crisis, with gang violence having displaced a record 1.5 million people. According to United Nations statistics, over 3,050 people were reported killed in Haiti between January and June. Armed groups are estimated to control about 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as substantial areas in the central region and beyond.