According to the U.S. Coast Guard, nearly 100 people, mainly from Haiti, who were saved from an overcrowded boat off the coast of Florida went without food or water for two days.
Last week, the 96 Haitians and one traveller from Uganda and the Bahamas were sighted by a Coast Guard helicopter about 20 miles (32 km) east of Boca Raton, Florida. On Sunday, they were turned over to Bahamian police.
The passengers informed the Coast Guard personnel that they had been at sea for a week and had gone two days without food or drink. The Coast Guard stated in a statement that the 40-foot cabin cruiser was overloaded with 53 men, 35 women, and ten children. Nobody was hurt.
Given the shortage of food and the overloaded ship, Capt. Robert Kinsey of the Coast Guard’s District Seven stated, “Smugglers do not care if you survive or die.” These people are fortunate to be still alive
