Disaster at Sea: 67 Haitians Remain Missing After Maritime Accident
The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for 67 Haitian immigrants who remain missing after their boat overturned off the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The tragic accident occurred late on Sunday, when the flimsy wooden boat steered into a reef. It set sail from the Haitian port of Cap Haitien with approximately 200 people on board. The boat, headed for Florida or the Bahamas, had been at sea for about three days when the accident occurred. 
According to survivors, the skipper tried to avoid being spotted by a patrol vessel and accidentally steered into a reef. When the boat ran aground the hull began to split open, and the people on the boat simply fell into the ocean. Making matters worse were the high winds and rough seas in the area at the time of the accident.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which led search and rescue efforts, confirmed that 118 people were rescued and 15 people were confirmed dead. The Coast Guard has now called off the search, although local authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands have said that they will continue their rescue efforts. However, it is highly unlikely any more survivors will be found.
This is not the first time Haitian immigrants have died in tragic accidents like this one.
- In May, nine people died when a boat carrying 30 people sank off the Florida Coast.
- In May of 2007, a boat carrying 150 Haitian immigrants sank off the Turks and Caicos Islands. 61 migrants died in that maritime accident.
The maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP represent workers injured in accidents involving cargo ships, cruise ships, oil rigs, offshore drilling platforms, barges, towboats, commercial fishing vessels, and other Jones Act vessels.
