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Five feared dead after suspected smuggling vessel capsizes

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net


THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) intends to increase its maritime presence in the Northern Bahamas following the tragic capsizing of a suspected smuggling vessel en route to Florida.

The US Coast Guard Seventh District reported that four people were rescued on Sunday, approximately 29 miles off St Lucie Inlet, after a Good Samaritan spotted them clinging to the overturned vessel.

According to US officials, one of the survivors told responders that the boat had capsized on Saturday, just a day after departing from Bimini with nine people on board.

The US Coast Guard launched a massive search operation, covering more than 1,100 square miles over seven hours. However, no additional survivors were found, and the search was suspended yesterday. Five people are still unaccounted for and are feared dead.

In response to the tragedy, RBDF Commodore Raymond King said the Defence Force will strengthen its operations in the Northern Bahamas via additional vessels to support a ship rider programme between the US and RBDF.

He said that after increased security efforts in recent years, smugglers have experience little success.

“Given the significant increase in mixed nationality smuggling from the Northern Bahamas to the US (primarily the State of Florida); intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and increased patrols have occurred over the past two years with minimal success on the smugglers part,” he told The Tribune yesterday.

“Additionally, under the Trump Administration, the US has assigned a large number of vessels and aircraft in the Florida Straits, Old Bahama Channel and Windward Passage towards countering illegal and irregular migration.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated that there had been little success in stopping smugglers. However, it is smugglers who reportedly have had little success. 

Comments

birdiestrachan 2 weeks, 1 day ago

NO MENTION OF THEIR nationality. . That would really be news

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