Researchers with US Coast Guard found five bodies after searching for a group of migrants who went missing after their homemade cruise ship capsized off the coast of Florida, causing Disney ship to stop its voyage in the area and assist in rescue operations.
Nine people were saved, according to ABC news.
Coast Guard Rescues 9 Migrants, Five Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Florida Coast
The group of migrants was traveling in a rickety boat when it capsized 50 miles off the coast of Little Torch Key, Florida, authorities said. Winds were 30 miles per hour Saturday and seas were 6 to 8 feet in swell.
The Coast Guard said the nine people they rescued were all wearing life jackets, while the other four died instantly after falling. Someone is said to have died after this.
“For people living in the US who want to know about a family member who has been detained by the Coast Guard, please contact your state representative,” the Coast Guard said.
#Breaking @USCG workers are searching for 5 people, about 50 mi. they left Little Torch Key, after a group boarded a homemade boat that overturned a failed migration mission. 9 people were rescued, one person was found dead, on Saturday… pic.twitter.com/UlYspfz4el
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) November 20, 2022
The Coast Guard added the hashtag #DontTakeToTheSea and tagged the account of the US embassy in Cuba in their tweet.
None of the victims had been publicly identified as of Monday afternoon.
Disney cruise ship Fantasy Suspended Between Searches, Rescue Aids
Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line’s Fantasy Reports were suspended on Sunday after the incident at sea in which four people died, according to reports, and were said to have aided search and rescue efforts.
Although Disney Cruise Line’s ships are known for their world-class services and Disney expertise, such as theme parksthere are times when the real world intrudes into the magic of Mickey Mouse,” the Disney-centric website Inside The Magic writes.
“Unfortunately, in a tragic incident off the coast of southern Florida, the cruise ship capsized and Disney Fantasy stopped to assist in the search for the victims,” the statement continued.
The Disney Fantasy is parked and the coast guard is circling the plane overhead. Word on the road is someone or something in the affected water. #DisneyCruise #DisneyFantasy #DisneyCruiseLine pic.twitter.com/bTQ5nCW2Bt
– Theme Park Express (@ThemeParkExpres) November 20, 2022
Video posted on Twitter showed Coast Guard planes circling the area as they searched for the missing.
News Comes 17 Months After Migrants – Including Baby – Die When Their Boat Capsizes In The Bahamas
In July, The Shade Room had previously reported that at least 17 people had died, including a child, when a boat capsized in the Bahamas. Officials said the boat may have been carrying Haitian migrants during suspected “person smuggling” to the United States.
The investigation into the matter is still ongoing, but authorities said at a press conference that between 50 and 60 people were on board when the boat overturned about 7 kilometers off the coast of New Providence Island around midnight on Sunday.
A boat full of migrants is believed to be heading for Florida.
Authorities say they found the bodies of 16 females, including a child believed to be 4 or 5 years old, and one male. Authorities rescued another 25 people from the water. Between eight and 12 people are believed to be still missing at the time of the report.
