Machete Fight Sends Crowded Boat Into Sea Near Puerto Rico, Two Dead and Several Missing
At least 40 people were rescued after spending more than 12 hours in the water, while search teams continued looking for missing passengers
A makeshift boat carrying an estimated 60 people capsized near Mona Island, west of Puerto Rico, after a fight involving a machete prompted passengers to jump into the sea, the US Coast Guard said. 'No one was wearing life jackets,' the Coast Guard said.
Survivors spent more than 12 hours in the water before a passing vessel spotted them around noon. Two people have been confirmed dead and at least 40 rescued, while an unknown number remained missing on Monday evening.
The incident unfolded at about 11:00 PM on Sunday, 27 September, roughly 10 miles from Mona Island, an uninhabited island between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Machete Fight Sends Passengers Overboard
The Coast Guard said a fight broke out aboard the makeshift vessel, during which people were severely injured by a machete, according to survivors. The violence prompted passengers to jump overboard and try to swim towards Mona Island despite the lack of safety flotation devices.
The first alert came at around noon on Monday, when the crew of the motor vessel Tripiti spotted people in the water near Mona Island. The crew contacted Coast Guard Sector San Juan and rescued four people from the sea.
A wider search-and-rescue operation was then launched involving the Coast Guard and partner agencies. Aerial footage shared by the US Coast Guard showed the survivors gathered around the capsized boats, waiting to be rescued.
Passengers Still Missing
The Coast Guard and other responding agencies later rescued a total of at least 40 people and recovered the bodies of two victims. Several people remained missing, although authorities had not established an exact number.
Search operations continued in waters surrounding Mona Island, with crews using aircraft and marine units to look for survivors.
The response involved Coast Guard vessels and aircraft, Puerto Rico Police, US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Dominican Republic Air Force and Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.
Authorities had not immediately confirmed the nationalities of those aboard the vessel or where the makeshift boat had originated.
Dangerous Mona Passage Crossing
The Mona Passage, which separates Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic, is a dangerous route for maritime crossings. It has strong and variable currents, frequent squalls, and changing weather. The latest incident also highlights the risks faced by people travelling in small, makeshift vessels without basic safety equipment.
Its exact route and circumstances remained unclear, with the Coast Guard yet to establish where the vessel came from. Authorities also had not confirmed whether those aboard were migrants, with survivor interviews still needed to establish more details.
Deadly sea journeys have occurred in the region before. In June 2022, 11 Haitian girls and women died after an overloaded boat capsized in open waters northwest of Puerto Rico, according to the Associated Press. The report stated that thirty-eight people were rescued in that incident.
The search remained active on Monday evening as crews continued checking the surrounding waters for missing passengers. The Coast Guard also asked anyone with information that could assist the search to contact Sector San Juan.
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