Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaking to the media on Sunday.
At least 17 people are dead and 25 have been rescued after a twin engine speedboat suspected of being involved in a human smuggling operation capsized off New Providence early on Sunday. The search is continuing for others who may have been on board.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis said the vessel left a docking facility off West Bay Street at around 1am with approximately 60 people on board and was believed to be headed for Miami. It is believed it capsized in rough seas. The Royal Bahamas Police Force and Defence Force responded to reports of a boating incident seven miles off New Providence shortly after.
Sixteen of the fatalities are women and the other is a boy of toddler age. They are all believed to be irregular Haitian migrants. Three of the survivors are in hospital.
Two Bahamian men, who were among those rescued, are in police custody. The search is continuing for others who were on board.
Mr Davis said he wanted to convey the condolences of the government and the people of the Bahamas to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. He also warned against smuggling operations.
“My government, since the time it came into office, has continually warned against these treacherous voyages,” Mr Davis said. “We have increased surveillance on land and sea and intensified patrols. We take this opportunity to strongly condemn the organisation of smuggling operations which risk human life and comprise our national security. Those found to be involved face prosecution.”
He said he understood the situation that many migrants face but appealed to those considering making such a voyage not to do so.
Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said police are working the US Coast Guard, the Defence Force and the Department of Immigration and that survivors are being interviewed.
More like this story
- SO DESPERATE: 17 die with eight missing and 25 rescued in smuggling tragedy, three Bahamians in police custody
- EDITORIAL: Criminals have no fear of the law
- Two Haitian migrants dead, eight others rescued after boat capsizes
- 17 migrants die as boat capsizes off Turks and Caicos
- Capsize captain has smuggling record
Comments
tribanon 2 years, 3 months ago
Sad.
Was the capsized vessel discovered by the US Coast Guard or the RBDF?
What are the nationalities of the deceased?
Where had the sea vessel departed from and what was its destination?
Where Is the vessel registered and who is the owner of record?
Did the passengers pay for the trip and, if so, who did they pay?
Come on Tribune reporters......chop, chop! Major news events do not take the weekend off.
tribanon 2 years, 3 months ago
It is indeed unfortunate The Tribune has to be begged these days to update their news stories on a more timely basis. Still, certain of the above questions have yet to be answered.
sheeprunner12 2 years, 3 months ago
Just wondering if this incident will be swept under the rug because of WHO owns the boat and WHO were the smugglers.
We await ........
TalRussell 2 years, 3 months ago
The dead numbers sixteen after vessel carrying Haitian migrants capsizes in Our Colony's seawaters... There are four womans' and 17 mans' were rescued. Live.- Yes?
Baha10 2 years, 3 months ago
The quality of “The Tribune’s” reporting of the past few years bears little resemblance to what was once a “great” Newspaper … lack of investigative research and outright ignorance leading to inaccurate misinformation is the least of the issues, salacious and defamatory “paid for” reporting at the behest of clandestine special interests to promote propaganda in furtherance of private agendas is far more concerning.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 3 months ago
I was wondering what more you would want to know at the moment, read again and realized, 60 persons believed to be on board, 25 alive 17 dead but no mention of the balance or of efforts to locate more people. Was the 60 wrong?
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 3 months ago
They should treat those 2 Bahamians like kings and put a dark cloud of potential life sentences over their heads. Put them in witness protection in the US and let them detail their entire career in human smuggling and who was involved while they dine on caviar and champagne.
Adrian Fox, a very wealthy man, mentioned being caught the first time he ever tried an operation. There's no evidence to the contrary. But you wonder about teenage girls who tell their parents they only had sex once and unfortunately got pregnant. Its "possible", but is it likely?
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 3 months ago
The ability to swim should be a public health emergency for all Caribbean islands. Just last week we had a young Bahamian die when her golf cart fell/drove into a pond
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 3 months ago
Gaming, money laundering, sex, drugs and human trafficking are natural partners. High volume, small amount transactions
One 2 years, 3 months ago
These smuggling operations have been going on for decades in the Bahamas. The law, the government - only cares when the USA or other foreign groups become aware of something. We live in the wild west. But brainwashed by criminal minds into doing their bidding or working for slave wages in their businesses.
So many dark and dirty things going on and the Bahamian people aren't treated with respect. For example - Think about Peter Nygard. It took the USA and Canadian to address that issue. How many other things are our public officials neglecting to address? Meanwhile, you lock up people from your neighbourhood for weed or shoot them dead in the street.
TalRussell 2 years, 3 months ago
A twin motor vessel leaving a West Bay Street dock at any hour under cloak darkness with approximately so many souls on board were not anything but human cargo heading out to Florida seawaters.... And what's more ... Its as if local profiteering individuals, seem not be least bothered of coming under radar the colony's high-ups.. They act like they're under assurances of no risk to reputation nor assets.... I'm thinking of taking four jitney buses to transport such a large number of passengers to the West Bay Street private dock .... And they all had been housed and fed during daylight hours. Far too many left unanswered questions. ― Yes?
John 2 years, 3 months ago
SIXTY PERSONS on board a 30 foot boat was an accident waiting to happen even before the boat was fully boarded. Obviously the boat operators had limited control over the steering and if they encountered side sea or head on waves, the boat will either dip and get flooded or flip over sideways. May the souls of those perished RIP.
M0J0 2 years, 3 months ago
These situations are a double edge sword, on one side illegal entry needs to be addressed and on the other side this isn't the first time this same scenario has happened and they left from the same known place.
GodSpeed 2 years, 3 months ago
There are more Haitians and other foreigners in the Bahamas now than Bahamians. You can't run errands without hearing Haitian Creole, Jamaican patios or Spanish. I guess as young Bahamians immigrate to the US and Canada in droves they're replaced by them. 50 years from now this country is going to be like the Turks and Caicos, completely lost to foreign hordes.
thomas 2 years, 3 months ago
Next stop Bimini...where smuggling is a well-known secret. Smugglers park their multiple vehicles (used to transport human cargo) in the church yard and launder their money with the church people (asue).
tribanon 2 years, 3 months ago
By the way, did cruel Davis ever come out of hiding to say peep about the environmental disaster in Exuma caused by Shell/FOCOL/Sun Oil?
It seems cruel Davis was waiting on the next major news story before making his next public appearance before the news media. And we all know how corrupt policians are always banking on the public's short memory. But little does cruel Davis know, the Bahamian's memory is becoming increasingly more like the elephant's memory which is unable to forget or forgive the unforgivable.
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