MIAMI — Several people were rescued from the ocean off the Florida Keys Friday morning and the Coast Guard was searching for others who were aboard a large migrant boat attempting to reach South Florida.
Initial reports from law enforcement sources indicate between 15 to 25 people were on the vessel.
The vessel capsized, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Estrada. Civilian boaters, Coast Guard crews and crews with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued 20 people from the water, Estrada said.
Four migrants swam to land, he said. The Coast Guard and other agencies are still searching for one other person.
The incident happened less than a mile off the coast of Islamorada, near the well-known Bud N’ Mary’s Marina.
Adam Hoffner, division for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Miami operations, said he received reports that the vessel was “possibly in distress.”
Other law enforcement sources said some of the people were rescued by civilian boaters in the area.
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