39 people are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida in a suspected human smuggling venture, the US Coast Guard announced on Tuesday.
Rescue crews found a man clinging to a boat that capsized in what the U.S. Coast Guard called a suspected human smuggling attempt gone awry.
The Coast Guard in Miami said it had received a report “from a good Samaritan” who rescued a man “clinging to a capsized vessel approximately 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet.”
The survivor revealed that the boat had left Bimini in the Bahamas Saturday night but encountered rough weather and capsized.
“According to the survivor, no one was wearing a life jacket,” the statement said.
“Coast Guard air and surface asset crews are actively searching for people in the water. This is a suspected human smuggling venture,” said the statement, which was posted on Twitter.
#BREAKING @USCG rescue crews are currently searching for 39 people after their boat reportedly capsized on Saturday night approximately 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet. #SAR
More updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/iGCJ7KRjXY
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 25, 2022
The Coast Guard released an image that shows the capsized vessel in the water with a man sitting on top of the hull.
Bimini, the westernmost district of the Bahamas and its closest point to the mainland, is approximately 130 miles (217 kilometers) from Fort Pierce Inlet.
