# 15 dead between St Martin & USVIs



## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

This is horrific. But details are poor to say the least.
Has anyone else heard of this?
I am on my phone so googling isn't easy.

Illegals?

15 missing after boat capsizes during journey to St. Thomas | Miami Herald


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

8 hours, no comments. 
Wow.
If they were whities from the US, Australia, Europe...

Poor buggers.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

Not a lot of info on this. Tough week in the world regarding deaths, no matter who they were.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

So wait you posted this later at night in the US, and were upset that nobody responded in 8 hours, about an incident that happened 2 weeks ago?

Just saying. Tragic for sure, details are REALLY sketchy it would appear. Also sounds like the coasties were involved throughout attempting to gather more info, and they still didn't have all the info. So yeah, seems like a bit of REALLY important info is missing, or not being shared.


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

Awful news for sure 
Mostly Cubans. Does not look like they were trying to reach the States. Maybe just working folks.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

This site says that the search was called off after over 70 operational hours.
It sounds like four persons were rescued, and eleven were lost.

Thanks to you we heard about this incident. I can't say why the nooze did not report more widely about it, other than perhaps they were gearing up for the RNC.


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

Best article I could find dated July 15- very tragic. 

Fifteen suspected illegal immigrants from Cuba, St. Maarten, and Colombia are feared dead, and four are being held by BVI authorities after a boat transporting them reportedly capsized between the BVI and St. Maarten earlier this week.

Ricardo Castrodad. U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Public Affairs Specialist in a press release issued this morning, Friday, July 15, stated that U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews are actively searching in the waters between the BVI and St. Maarten for possible survivors of a capsized migrant vessel.

"Two Saint Maarten and two Cuban migrants who were traveling aboard the capsized vessel were rescued by a good samaritan vessel Monday in waters south of Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands and transported to Virgin Gorda, where they were transferred to island authorities," he said.

BVI Platinum News sources indicted that the four men have since told local authorities that they were among 15 others who departed St. Maarten destined for St. Thomas, USVI when the boat capsized during their journey.

BVI security officials are tight lipped on the reports.

However, Castrodad said authorities in San Juan were notified by BVI authorities and family members Wednesday morning that one of the survivors reported the migrant vessel departed St. Maarten Saturday night on a trip to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The vessel was carrying 15 Cubans, 1 Colombian, a Dominican Republic national and 2 persons from Saint Maarten when it capsized sometime between Saturday night and early Monday, after the vessel started taking on water.

"Coast Guard watchstanders proceeded to launch an Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez to search for survivors."

They then issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and Enhanced Group Calling, advising mariners and boaters in the area to be on the lookout for survivors.

A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry and a Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft are actively participating in the search.

The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard is also assisting search efforts with a dash-8 maritime patrol aircraft, while Virgin Islands Search and Rescue units are searching coastal areas in the British Virgin Islands.

"So far, there have been no signs of survivors. Watchstanders in Sector San Juan are investigating reports of four life jackets that were recovered Thursday by two vessels in waters south of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands." - Virgin Island Platinum News
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