Survivors mourn Haitian lost migrants

Survivors mourn Haitian migrants lost when boat sinks off Bahamas

Eleven bodies have been recovered, and U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities continued to comb Bahamian waters Tuesday looking for missing Haitians who were aboard the overcrowded, 28-foot motorized boat that sank Sunday night while en route to Florida. It is presumed a dozen people are missing.

At least five passengers, all Haitian men living illegally in the Bahamas, were able to swim to shore safety, Bahamian police said. Police are trying to determine if one of them was the organizer of the expedition. Eight people believed to be associated with the ill-fated trip are being held for questioning, National Security Minister Bernard Nottage told members of parliament Tuesday.

One of the survivors is suspected of organizing the ill-fated trip

A Haitian Bahamian, who was aboard the boat, later told police the craft was headed to Florida with 28 people aboard. The journey began somewhere in Treasure Cay.

“The gentleman further reported that he believed each person paid a total of $5,000 per head for the journey,” Nottage said. “Sometime after 8 p.m. on the same day they began experiencing engine problems when one of the engines kept cutting off, which slowed the vessel down.”

Sources:
MiamiHerald