| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District |
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| Press Release |
Date: April 6, 2004 Contact: |
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COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR POSSIBLE MISSING MIGRANTS SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Coast Guard crews are currently searching for three migrants possibly in the water approximately three miles off the coast of Punta Boqueron, Puerto Rico. FURA officers saw the people jump overboard at 12:50 a.m. after intercepting their 23-foot yola, which was tranporting a total of 38 migrants, 24 Dominican Republic nationals and 14 Peruvians. The Coast Guard Cutter Cushing was immediately diverted to the scene and began searching in conjunction with an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and FURA smallboat. So far only a lifejacket has been found. Upon interception, the FURA officers provided lifejackets for all of the migrants, including those who jumped overboard. The remaining 35 migrants were safely taken aboard the Cushing for further transfer to Dependable, a 210-foot cutter homeported in Cape May, N.J. This case, when combined with the drowning of a migrant discovered by the police off the north coast of Puerto Rico yesterday again demonstrates the dangerous nature of these illegal voyages. ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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