On Saturday morning, 16 people died and 15 were saved in the sinking of a Haitian boat-people boat off the islands of Abaco in the Bahamas archipelago.

Following the discovery by residents of 4 dead bodies on the shoreline near Man-o-War Cay near Marsh Harbor, police, fire and rescue services, as well as Immigration and The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) stationed at Great Abaco conducted searches near Fowl Cay and Man-o-War Cay.

Rescue teams were then joined by an RBDF patrol vessel HMBS "Durward Knowles" and a US Coast Guard helicopter.

15 Haitian shipwrecked were found alive and were hoisted aboard the HMBS under the command of Lieutenant Commander Omarv Saunders and then transported to the Marsh Harbor Clinic for evaluation before being handed over to the officers of the immigration and police for further investigation.

On Saturday afternoon, the shipwreck wreckage was spotted by the US Coast Guard helicopter in reef-laden waters near Fowl Cay. A diving operation conducted by RBDF divers and a local diver revealed the presence of 12 additional bodies of Haitians lifeless in the boat at the bottom of the sea bringing to 16 the total number of deceased victims in this new drama of the sea...

Remember that this is the 6th boat of compatriots fleeing the misery of Haiti in search of a better life, (5 intercepted, 1 sinking) in the archipelago of the Bahamas since the beginning of the year...

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26723-icihaiti-security-rescue-of-31-haitians-by-the-us-coast-guard.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26633-icihaiti-social-130-haitian-boat-people-intercepted-off-the-bahamas.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26594-icihaiti-bahamas-4th-boat-of-illegal-haitian-migrants-intercepted-in-7-days.html

SL/ HaitiLibre