Coast Guard: Another survivor of capsized boat found

Estimated 30 Haitian migrant killed, 111 rescued

NASSAU, Bahamas – The Coast Guard found another survivor of a boat that capsized Monday in the waters off the Bahamas, killing an estimated 30 Haitian migrants.

The Coast Guard found the man on a small island 13 miles northeast of Green Cay, Bahamas, on Wednesday morning.

Coast Guard and Royal Bahamian Defense Force have rescued 111 migrants since finding the boat aground about 15 miles southwest of Staniel Cay. When rescue crews arrived, the migrants were clinging to the hull of the 40-foot sail freighter.

"With the winds coming in from the northeast, they favor this time of year because it assists them in moving more rapidly up the coast of the Bahamas," said Lt. Commander Whitfield Neely. "They get good prevailing winds to push their boats."

Video: Crews discuss rescue operation

Most of the survivors were transported to Nassau for medical treatment. Authorities questioned six in Georgetown believed to be persons of interest.

Bahamian officials believe the ship was headed to Florida.

"It's amazing how many people get into these waters," Lt. Carlon Bethell.

"There's death on those barrages," he said. "It's sad when we get cadavers out of these situations, but it's also a good feeling when we see some persons walking off of the ship, and we contributed toward giving them another chance at having another go at life."

Bethell advised friends and family members of potential migrants to tell them to avoid the harrowing journeys.

"We understand the plight they go through in Haiti," he said. "We understand looking for a better way of life, but I don't think a lot of people understand the great risks it involves."

In August, Judith Valentin's body washed ashore in Palm Beach. While her mother speculated that she was raped and thrown overboard, authorities concluded she accidentally drowned.

In October, a boat carrying a group of Caribbean national capsized, killing four women. Six other Jamaican and Bahamian survivors each face a federal charge of attempting to re-enter the U.S. after being deported. One also faces an attempted smuggling charge.

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