The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

Following the deaths of at least 30 Haitian migrants, the country’s ambassador, Antonio Rodrigue, said members of the Haitian community are eager to find out if any of the dead are their relatives.

“Some people came to us because they want to know, but we were told we cannot go to the morgue to identify the body until next Tuesday because there is a process,” he said.

“This time of the year is a very critical period because we will always have many cases like this one happening, from now until December there is going to be a lot of Haitians attempting to come here, but I know that the Defence Force is prepared and I have faith in them.”

Hours after 115 Haitian migrants arrived in the capital after being stranded at sea for two days, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force apprehended 56 more migrants off Ragged Island.

This latest group of Haitians arrived in Nassau late last night.

According to reports, they were picked up around 4:30pm Tuesday, 30 miles north of Duncan Town, Ragged Island, on Seal Cay.

They were detained as marines continued to comb waters for more survivors or bodies from Monday’s capsizing near Harvey Cays.

At least 30 Haitian migrants drowned and 110 were rescued, 19 women and 91 men, after their vessel ran aground. It was initially thought the sloop was headed to the United States, but survivors claimed they were head for New Providence.

Many of those who drowned were said to have attempted to swim or float on pieces of wood to land after the sloop began to break apart.

Up to press time, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Lieutenant Orgin Deleveaux said no additional bodies had been recovered.

Some 30 bodies were seen floating in nearby waters by the Coast Guard and efforts by the Defence Force patrol craft to retrieve the bodies were made throughout the day.

However, the exercise was severely hampered by deteriorating weather conditions, shallow waters and fading sunlight.

Consequently, only six bodies were retrieved from the water.

This year, the Defence Force has apprehended more than 1,500 immigrants – surpassing year’s number.
Of that figure 90 per cent of the immigrants were Haitian.

In 2012 the RBDF arrested 1,330 Haitians, in 2011 the number was 2,300.