Over-capacity boat suspected of human smuggling.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has opened an investigation after a lone man was rescued from the overturned hull of a 25-foot wooden boat off the coast of Florida on Tuesday. The overcrowded boat, suspected human trafficking, had departed from the Bahamas, had capsized in a storm Saturday. The survivor was brought into custody and told the Coast Guard that 39 other people were on the boat with him. The Coast Guard began to search for survivors.
Captain Jo-Ann Burdian, head of the search, stated on Wednesday that they continue to search and hope to find survivors. However, she said, “with every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely.” She added, “We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts. But we can’t search forever.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For members of the Coast Guard as they search for survivors of the accident.
- For Homeland Security officials as they investigate the origin of the suspected human trafficking craft.
Sources: AP, NavyTimes
