The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE bodies of four women washed ashore in southern New Providence and dozens of Haitian migrants were picked up by law enforcement after a sloop capsized yesterday morning.

Police could not say conclusively if the women were on board the capsized vessel.

While reports are still vague, Royal Bahamas

Defence Force and Department of Immigration officials yesterday indicated they received reports that dozens of suspected migrants could be seen attempting to make it to land from a stranded vessel in waters next to the Misty Gardens community.

Once on the scene, RBDF officers intercepted about 42 suspected Haitian migrants at various points throughout the community - 20 in waters near the capsized vessel and the remaining 22 in bushes near the coastline.

The group included 29 men and 13 women.

The group, some naked, all visibly shaken by the journey were taken into custody and transferred to immigration facilities in New Providence.

A further investigation by officers at the scene uncovered the body of woman who had washed up at a nearby ramp.

Officers with the Royal Bahamas Police Force were then notified, and responded a short time later.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Stephen Dean while at the scene Monday, told reporters that officials were at the time, unable to connect the discovery with the incident just a short distance away.

“There may be a correlation between this discovery and the scene earlier this morning,” stated ACP Dean on Monday morning.

“While there is speculation that she may be connected to that group, we are in no position to say so at this time.

“An autopsy will have to be performed in hopes of determining who she is and once that is done, we will then be able to move forward with this matter.”

Hours later, police were called back to the community as three additional bodies were discovered by immigration and RBDF officers who remained behind to canvass the area further.

ACP Dean said officials made the discovery just further west from the original scene sometime around 3pm.

In his second address to the press Monday, ACP Dean said officers would follow the same protocol, performing an autopsy on the women.

He again suggested that there could be some correlation between the discovery and the capsized vessel discovered earlier in the day.

ACP Dean again appealed to the public for help, expressing concern that not every migrant was apprehended by officials yesterday.

“We are appealing to members of the public for information if they are aware where some of these persons might have been, because we are not sure, according to reports by immigration and Defence Force officials who are actively on the ground, we are not sure that everyone was accounted for,” he said.