logo
5 Migrants Assumed Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Florida Coast

5 Migrants Assumed Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Florida Coast

New York Times14-04-2025

Five migrants are feared dead after their boat capsized on the way to Florida from the Bahamas in 'a suspected failed smuggling venture,' officials said on Monday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday that it had suspended its search after covering 1,240 square miles over seven hours. Four people were rescued from a 25-foot vessel about 30 miles off Florida's Atlantic Coast, near St. Lucie, on Sunday morning, according to the Coast Guard.
Martin County Fire Rescue said in a statement that four survivors and one deceased victim were pulled from the water just before 10 a.m. Sunday. One of the survivors was seriously injured and the others had injuries that were not life-threatening, the department said.
The county's sheriff, John Budensiek, said at a news conference on Monday that the four people rescued were of Dominican and Haitian descent. According to interviews with survivors, the boat quickly capsized in the early hours of Friday when it left the island of Bimini with nine people onboard, Sheriff Budensiek said. The Coast Guard said the boat capsized early Saturday morning.
Many of the migrants were initially able to cling onto the boat but 'lost their grip and one by one drifted out into the ocean,' he said.
Only four were still alive — one woman and three men, including a 17-year-old — once the sheriff's office was called around 8 a.m. on Sunday to assist the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with the rescue operation, Sheriff Budensiek said.
A fisherman who was out with his family on Sunday spotted the flipped vessel and was able to get close enough to give the migrants water, food and life jackets, the sheriff said. Because of rough sea conditions, his team needed over an hour to reach the boat. All four people who survived were transported to a hospital, where they were treated for water exposure and 'serious sunburns,' Sheriff Budensiek said.
The chance of recovering the remaining missing people 'is probably pretty dismal at this point,' he said. 'We believe they're in the Gulf Stream, so they're moving rapidly to the north.'
'The decision to suspend a search is always difficult and never taken lightly,' Chief Warrant Officer Edgardo Insignares said in a Coast Guard statement. Smugglers 'routinely exploit' vulnerable migrants for profit, he said, 'while putting their lives at risk aboard overloaded and unseaworthy vessels.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Five migrants detained after boat intercepted off Point Loma coast
Five migrants detained after boat intercepted off Point Loma coast

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Five migrants detained after boat intercepted off Point Loma coast

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The United States Coast Guard intercepted a boat carrying five migrants Monday off the coast of San Diego. The 20-foot pleasure craft was interdicted about four miles southwest of Point Loma, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Tuesday. Coast Guard suspends search for six after plane crashes into ocean off San Diego All five migrants, claiming Mexican nationality, were transferred to the custody of Imperial Beach Border Patrol at Ballast Point. The incident comes a day after seven migrants aboard another boat were detained Sunday about eight miles south of Point Loma. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Grey Bull Rescue helps 2 families bring adoptive daughters from Haiti to the U.S.
Grey Bull Rescue helps 2 families bring adoptive daughters from Haiti to the U.S.

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Grey Bull Rescue helps 2 families bring adoptive daughters from Haiti to the U.S.

The Brief Two out-of-state couples met their adoptive daughters from Haiti in person on Tuesday after a Tampa nonprofit rescued them from the Caribbean country. Gang violence continues to be an ongoing problem in Haiti. Grey Bull Rescue facilitates evacuations and rescues people from dangerous situations. TAMPA - "This is crazy! Yes, it's all hitting all at once," emotional Texas resident Kathleen Smith told FOX 13 Tuesday. "It's wild. I feel like we've been -- not we, I! -- have been crying on and off for months." Smith and her husband, Jordan, have been trying to bring their seven-year-old adoptive daughter, Love Esther, home from Haiti for over a year. RELATED: Violence in Haiti stalls Plano family's attempt to adopt daughter However, ongoing gang violence in the Caribbean country has made the process difficult. "Gangs taking over everything," Jordan Smith said. "It's horrible." It's a similar story for Jake and Maribeth Joraanstad of North Dakota: They've been trying to get their daughters out of the Haitian orphanages, too. "The girls had heard gunshots in the neighborhood," Jake Joraanstad said of his adoptive daughters, Mitialove and Mirlanda. Local perspective Enter Grey Bull Rescue: The Tampa nonprofit facilitates evacuations, rescuing people in danger. And that's exactly what they're doing for these two couples. "They just got started coordinating, making plans, getting paperwork pushed through," Jordan Smith told FOX 13. On Tuesday, Grey Bull Rescue founder, Bryan Stern, and his team flew to Haiti to get Love Esther, Mitialove, and Mirlanda to bring them back to Tampa. Dig deeper The families told FOX 13 that the three girls – who range in age from six to 12 -- have American visas. The president's current travel ban does include an exception for adoptions. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter

Missing toddler found safe thanks to Cleburne County K-9 Opie
Missing toddler found safe thanks to Cleburne County K-9 Opie

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Missing toddler found safe thanks to Cleburne County K-9 Opie

HEFLIN — A 3-year-old boy reported missing last week in the Hopewell community was found safe, thanks to a swift response by Cleburne County deputies and the tracking skills of K-9 Opie and his handler, Deputy Bradley Mayfield. According to the Cleburne County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a report of a missing child on June 3. As they were en route to the scene, K-9 handler Deputy Mayfield and Opie were also dispatched to assist in the search. Mayfield, 28, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who later entered law enforcement, has worked closely with Opie, a 14-month-old bloodhound, since July 4, 2024, when the dog was just 10 weeks old. Together, the two form the Sheriff's Office's only tracking K-9 team. While the department also uses a drug detection dog named Max, Opie specializes in narcotics detection, tracking, and article searches — the recovery of items like weapons or evidence discarded by suspects. When Mayfield arrived at the residence, the scene had already been secured by other deputies to minimize foot traffic and preserve scent trails. Opie was given a pair of the child's shorts by the mother to begin tracking. Mayfield said he first took time to get Opie 'hyped up,' a regular part of their routine, before presenting the scent article and issuing the tracking command. 'He went towards the back. Located a football in the backyard, and I'm guessing that football has been used with the kid before, because he sat on it for a second,' he said. After circling the property, the K-9 showed no signs of the child having left the area. Instead, the dog indicated the scent remained inside the residence. Based on Opie's behavior, deputies and family members conducted another search inside the home. This time, they found the boy safe under a pile of blankets in his bed. Only his fingertips were visible, and one deputy spotted them during the search. Once the child was reunited with his mother Mayfield asked if it would be ok if he could bring Opie out and present the clothing again to see if he could find him standing there. 'I deployed Opie again from my vehicle and he walked right past everybody else, went straight to the mama with the child,' Mayfield said, 'I asked the mom if he could get down and play with Opie, and she let him play with him and after that, we loaded up and went back home.' Sheriff Jon Daniel praised the teamwork and rapid response. 'I am thankful for the outcome of this situation and grateful for the response exhibited by the deputies, on-duty and off-duty, that came to assist,' Daniel said. 'I also want to thank Heflin PD for their quick response alongside us for the welfare of the child. I am also thankful for the work done by K-9 Opie and the asset he is to the Sheriff's Office and all of the citizens we serve.' Mayfield said the child's mother was apologetic for calling law enforcement, but emphasized that she did everything right and every second counts. Opie was rewarded with his favorite treat — a small hand towel. 'He loves hand towels. He just holds it in his mouth,' Mayfield said. 'If I hold it, he'll pull on it. He'll just walk around with it — that's what he does. He's not as high-energy as German shepherds; he's more calm. That's how bloodhounds are.' Mayfield, who became interested in K-9 work during his military service, said watching other handlers work with bomb detection and narcotics dogs inspired him. 'When I got into law enforcement and started doing narcotics work, I saw how beneficial a dog could be for our department and the county,' he said. In addition to his work within Cleburne County, Mayfield frequently responds to requests from law enforcement agencies across Alabama and Georgia, particularly for tracking suspects or conducting narcotics searches. 'I've had calls from state troopers when someone runs on foot. A lot of agencies have more K-9s than we do, so they have options, but I still get called out a lot,' he said. 'I couldn't even tell you how many times I've deployed him on tracks in Cleburne County.' One frequent location is Cheaha State Park, where Mayfield is often called to assist when individuals are lost on the trails or fleeing law enforcement. 'I go up there a good bit. If they need us, we're there,' he said. 'No matter the time of day, I'll come out.' Mayfield said his work with Opie requires not just experience but keen observation. 'You look for the signs — people who are overly nervous, stories that don't line up, or behavior that's just off,' he said. 'Once Opie alerts, that gives us probable cause to conduct a search.' 'This was a good ending,' he said about the search for the boy, adding that Opie received his reward, his chew rag.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store