At Least 5 Dead as Haitian Refugee Boat Capsizes; Many Lost

MIAMI — A boat carrying 20 to 40 would-be Haitian refugees to Florida capsized in shark-infested waters off the Bahamas on Sunday. At least five people died, authorities said.

Only three people were known to have reached the safety of a beach off Green Turtle Cay, northeast of Great Abaco Island, said duty officer Rhonda Whaton of the Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue.

“It’s very gruesome,” she said. “Unfortunately, there are sharks very active in the area.”

The known dead were a woman and four children, Whaton said. She could not confirm if anyone was attacked by sharks.

The 23-foot boat capsized during the night and was spotted about midday by an American sailing vessel, she said.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and three Bahamian boats were searching for survivors Sunday. No additional survivors had been found by Sunday evening, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Alex Worden in Miami.