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Search ends for migrants of capsized vessel off VI
According to reports, the vessel was travelling from St Maarten to St Thomas, US Virgin Islands when tragedy struck off VI waters.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost in this tragic incident," said Captain Robert W. Warren, Commander of US Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
Two Saint Maarten and two Cuban migrants who were traveling aboard the capsized vessel were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel Monday in waters south of Virgin Gorda, Virgin Islands and transported to Virgin Gorda, where they were handed over to local authorities.
According to an article on American Professional Mariners Association website on July 16, 2016, rescue units collectively searched over 70 operational hours and completed 20 search patterns covering approximately 10,538 square nautical miles, an area approximately the size of the state of Maryland.
It said Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan were notified by [British] Virgin Islands authorities and family members Wednesday morning, July 13, 2016 of the vessel capsized at sea.
One of the survivors reported that the migrant vessel had departed Saint Maarten the night of July 9, 2016 on a trip to St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
The vessel was carrying 15 Cubans, one Colombian, a Dominican Republic national and two persons from Saint Maarten when it capsized after the vessel started taking on water.
An HC-130 aircraft from the 920th Rescue Wing's 39th Rescue Squadron with a team of Pararescue Jumpers from the from the 308th Rescue Squadron from Patrick Air Force Base flew in support of search efforts Friday, while a WC-130 aircraft from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard's 156th Airlift Wing searched Saturday.
The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard supported search efforts with a dash-8 maritime patrol aircraft, while Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) units in the Virgin Islands and National Park Service Rangers in St Croix, US Virgin Islands conducted shoreline searches for possible survivors.
Meanwhile, this news site had first and accurately reported that a human leg was found washed ashore on Peter Island on Friday July 15, 2016. The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has since said that other body parts were also found in subsequent searches. It is not clear if the body parts have since been identified as possibly belonging to any of the migrants of the vessel that capsized.
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10 Responses to “Search ends for migrants of capsized vessel off VI”
Boat capsize off VG either the night of the 9th or the morning of the 11th of July. 2 was "Rescue" off VG (South Sound) by locals. Wind been blowing 7k to 19k South East direction for the last few days.
Between 9th and day leg found on Peter Island don't adds up to a leg of someone who was capsize, if so it would have drifted in by the VG airport side / hit tipping point of Copper Mine, backside of fallen Jerusalem, Ginger / cooper or backside of Peter Island (where people don't hang out - it's rocks - no beach to clean )
Again the leg was find by men who was cleaning the beach, same beach their guests hangout on. Gut feelings that leg just (Hit Home). That's just my personal though maybe one I should have kept to myself.