3 dead, 10 missing after boat capsizes following machete incident off Puerto Rico

Three people have been found dead and 10 more are missing after a makeshift boat capsized off Puerto Rico following an altercation involving a machete, according to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Forty-nine people have been rescued, and the search is ongoing.

The Coast Guard said on Tuesday that survivors confirmed 62 people were aboard the vessel. The latest figures increase the number of rescued passengers from at least 40 and the death toll from two reported on Monday.

The boat reportedly capsized at about 11 p.m. on Sunday. Survivors said people suffered severe machete injuries during an altercation aboard the vessel, forcing some to jump into the water and attempt to swim to Mona Island.

The rescue operation began around noon on Monday when the motor vessel Tripiti reported pulling four survivors from the water about 10 nautical miles off Mona Island, a Puerto Rican island between Puerto Rico’s main island and the Dominican Republic.

No one aboard was wearing a life jacket. The circumstances of the altercation has not been released.

The Coast Guard cutter Joseph Doyle is transferring the 49 survivors ashore to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for further investigation.

Coast Guard helicopters, aircraft and marine units have been searching alongside Puerto Rico Police and CBP. The Dominican Republic Air Force and Puerto Rico’s natural resources agency are also participating.

#Update: 49 people rescued, 3 recovered deceased. @USCG Cutter Joseph Doyle is transferring the 49 people ashore to HSI & CBP for further investigation. The survivors confirmed there were 62 people on the vessel and the search is ongoing for the remaining 10 missing people. #SAR https://t.co/dH2eHjd5QH pic.twitter.com/cD1HXl0AtY

— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) September 29, 2026

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