It was a tragic scene off Little Torch Key Saturday when a homemade boat carrying 19 Cuban refugees capsized in rough seas, drowning at least 5. The U.S. Coast Guard was able to rescue nine of them, but are searching for another 5 who are still missing.
Crews are continuing the search for five migrants who went missing Saturday after a homemade vessel capsized about 50 miles off the coast of Florida near Little Torch Key, according to the US Coast Guard Southeast.
At least 19 people were aboard the boat at the time it capsized, according to the Coast Guard.
Nine people were rescued, and one migrant was found dead, the Coast Guard said. An additional four migrants are believed to have drowned “immediately” after the vessel capsized, the agency said.
Some of the rescued migrants wore life jackets, which the Coast Guard said saved their lives in the 6- to 8-foot seas with wind speeds up to 30 miles per hour, according to the Coast Guard.
Adding to the sadness of this tragedy is the fact all those escaping refugees knew they were risking their lives, yet found that preferable to spending another day living under communism.
Apparently, those who risk their lives this way must see staying in Cuba as a hopeless dead end, and they figure that any chance at all of escaping that, however slim, is worth taking. Talk about a failed country.