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| News Release |
Date: Contact: Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson |
| Coast Guard Rescues 3 off Miami Beach, Searching for more |
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MIAMI - Coast Guard crews rescued three people from the water Friday morning and are searching for an unknown number of people who may have jumped off their 30-foot vessel near Fisher Island, Fla. A good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard personnel at the Sector Miami Command Center to inform them a vessel was off of Fisher Island. A smallboat crew was launched from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., to investigate, and once on scene, located the vessel with approximately seven people aboard in very shallow water and three people in the water. A smallboat from Station Miami Beach, the cutter Dolphin, two Coast Guard helicopters from Air Station Miami, Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue personnel are searching for anyone who may still be missing from the vessel. Agents from U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are assisting with the investigation on land. "Illegal migration by maritime means is inherently dangerous. As we've seen in this case and far too often in South Florida and the Caribbean, illegal migration can be tragic. By embarking unseaworthy vessels, migrants put their lives and those of their family members at risk," said Capt. Peter Brown, Coast Guard District 7 Enforcement Branch Chief. "By overcrowding migrants on small vessels without safety equipment, ruthless smugglers attempt to maximize illegal profits. The Coast Guard will continue to patrol to locate and rescue distressed persons and sea and, together with our interagency partners, including the U.S. Attorney's office, we will continue to investigate and identify those involved in migrant smuggling and hold them accountable for their criminal and dangerous actions." This is preliminary release and more information is forthcoming as it becomes available. ###
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