240 Migrants Rescued After Overcrowded Boat Begins Taking On Water In Caribbean

Air and Marine Operations, part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, detected a vessel carrying 240 migrants after it encountered serious trouble near the Turks and Caicos area.

On May 31 at 2:45 p.m., a Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft from the Jacksonville Air and Marine Branch located the vessel around 65 nautical miles south of Turks and Caicos. The 50-foot wooden boat from Haiti had two outboard engines and was moving north toward the islands.

The aircraft passed details to authorities in Turks and Caicos and partners involved in Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. Those teams continued tracking the vessel and shared updates on its position, course, and speed.

A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft later took over monitoring. It reported that one engine had failed and the vessel was slowly taking on water. People onboard were seen bailing water at a rate of three to five gallons per minute.

At 9:08 p.m., officials confirmed the vessel was no longer moving and passengers were still using buckets to remove water. Authorities in Turks and Caicos then launched a search and rescue operation using four maritime assets from Providenciales and Grand Turk.

Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the vessel was successfully rescued. Officials confirmed 240 migrants were onboard, including 191 adult males, 44 adult females, and five minors.

All passengers were taken into custody by Turks and Caicos authorities and did not reach U.S. soil.

No injuries were reported. The migrants’ nationalities were not disclosed, and the case remains under investigation.