Date: Aug. 9, 2004

Contact:  LTjg Eric Willis
787.510.7923

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NAVY RESCUES BOATLOAD OF 19

Possibly 80 migrants remain missing on another yola

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico. - The Dominican Republic Navy reported rescuing 19 migrants from a yola found drifting helplessly today on the Silver Banks, approximately 70 miles north of the Dominican Republic.

The vessel is believed to have departed from the Samana peninsula, Dominican Republic on Aug. 3.

Meanwhile, search efforts continue for another yola believed to have left the same area five days earlier with approximately 80 migrants on board.

"In cases such as this, it is often only luck that separates migrants from death or survival.  For these 19, they were fortunate, but sadly the likely fate of another 80 becomes more tragic with each passing day," said Cmdr. Thomas Lennon, executive officer for the Coast Guard's Greater Antilles Section.

Aug. 2, the Coast Guard received its first notification of an overdue yola from relatives of the missing migrants.  Unfortunately, the details provided from various callers, both to the Coast Guard and the Domincican Republic Consular offices, provided very limited and sometimes conflicting information, including four separate believed departure points.  Based on a July 29 departure date the possible search area developed covered more than 25,000 square miles of Ocean. 

Working from the general information available, the Coast Guard alerted all of its resources patrolling in the Mona Passage and adjusted their patrol areas; other law enforcement agencies patrolling the Mona Passage were notified; the Dominican Republic Navy was contacted; and an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued around the clock to notify commercial and recreational mariners in the area to keep a look out and report any findings.

The afternoon of Aug. 5, additional information was received through the U.S. Border Patrol that a yola had been seen by a separate group of migrants crossing the Mona Passage north of Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico.  Based on that more specific location report, a search flight was launched, covering a 4,500 square mile area. 

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Cutter Matinicus, based in San Juan, conducted a search of the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

Saturday and Sunday rumors of the migrants landing in Cuba were circulated, which have since been verified as false.

"The painful position we find ourselves in is reflective of the dangerous nature of these voyages," said Lennon.  "These trips are often organized and executed at the hands of smugglers who don't want to be found.  As a result, when something goes wrong, there is little if any information available to us to come to their aid."

Since Oct. 1, 2003, 60 people are known to have died attempting to cross the Mona Passage.  Sadly, the number is likely much higher due to cases similar to this that go unreported.  During this same period, more than 5,500 migrants have been rescued at sea.

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