A US Coast Guard helicopter aircrew rescued two people from the water off Shacks Beach, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, October 4, after their boat capsized in hazardous weather.
Three other people from the boat made it to the beach in good health, one person was recovered unconscious and unresponsive from the surf, and one person remains missing.
The Coast Guard Sector San Juan command centre was notified at approximately 07:20 on Saturday that seven people were in the water after their boat capsized. It was later reported that the vessel, which had reportedly left the Dominican Republic on Thursday evening, had capsized between 04:00 and 04:30.
An extensive search is ongoing for the missing person, involving a Coast Guard helicopter and the cutter Joseph Tezanos, as well as assets from the US Border Patrol and multiple Puerto Rican police and emergency management agencies.
"A life was needlessly lost today because migrants took to the sea without regard for the weather or the seaworthiness of their vessel," said Cmdr. Matthew Romano, chief of response for Sector San Juan. "This is why we stress not to take to the sea on unsafe vessels."
Small craft advisories had been in effect for the past few days, with the sea state at the time of the incident reported as 10-foot (three-meter) seas with 12-mph (19-kilometre per hour) winds.
