Two individuals have been discovered useless and 16 others had been nonetheless lacking two days after a boat carrying 27 Cuban migrants sank off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Ian slammed into the state, the U.S. Coast Guard mentioned Friday.
After the boat capsized Wednesday, 4 of the individuals on board swam to Inventory Island, simply east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol mentioned. On Thursday, the Coast Guard mentioned a complete of 9 individuals had been safely situated and rescued.
The Coast Guard's seventh District mentioned in separate tweets Friday that two our bodies had been recovered — one close to Ocean Edge Marina and one in Boca Chica Channel.
Air and sea crews continued to seek for 16 individuals nonetheless believed to be lacking.
"We are able to solely pray our crews discover them so their households and family members can relaxation," Coast Guard Captain Robert Kinsey mentioned in a assertion. "Our air and floor crews are patrolling and are looking out to forestall unlawful and unsafe ventures."
The Coast Guard additionally mentioned that it had repatriated 120 Cubans to Cuba on Friday, after a number of vessels had been intercepted off Florida's coast in the course of the hurricane.
"Taking to the ocean any time carries important danger," Kinsey mentioned. "Taking to the ocean throughout a hurricane is flat out reckless."
The storm beforehand killed two individuals in Cuba, and introduced down the nation's electrical grid.
Ian made landfall close to Cayo Costa, Florida, on Wednesday as a significant Class 4 storm — the second-strongest doable class on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.