2 dead, several missing after boat capsizes following machete attack off Puerto Rico
Two people have been found dead and at least 40 others have been rescued and several remain missing after a makeshift boat carrying an estimated 60 people capsized off Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Survivors reported that an altercation involving a machete forced people to jump into the water.
The rescue operation began around noon on Monday after 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.
The survivors told Coast Guard personnel in San Juan that their boat had capsized at about 11 p.m. on Sunday. They said people suffered severe machete injuries during an altercation aboard the vessel, forcing some to jump overboard and attempt to swim to Mona Island.
By Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard reported at least 40 people rescued and two bodies recovered.
No one aboard was wearing a life jacket, according to the Coast Guard. Officials have not released the identities or nationalities of those involved or said where the vessel departed from or was headed.
The Coast Guard cutter Joseph Doyle, helicopters, aircraft and marine units are searching the area alongside Puerto Rico Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Dominican Republic Air Force and Puerto Rico’s natural resources agency are also participating.
The post 2 dead, several missing after boat capsizes following machete attack off Puerto Rico appeared first on BNO News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
