Tragedy off Puerto Rico: 40 migrants rescued, search for missing after shipwreck
Posted on 09/29/26 at 10:05
- 40 migrants rescued
- Two people were found dead
- Search for missing continues
A perilous migrant journey across the Caribbean ended in tragedy off Puerto Rico: 40 people were rescued alive and two bodies recovered after a makeshift vessel sank near Isla de Mona.
The accident occurred around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, when the vessel was navigating approximately 10 miles from the island, located between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Initial estimates pointed to around 60 people on board, which keeps an search operation open to locate those who have not been found yet.
The emergency mobilized the U.S. Coast Guard after the ship Tripiti initially rescued four people who remained in the water and alerted the authorities.
Shipwreck off Isla de Mona leaves two dead and missing
Two people found dead, at least 40 rescued and several missing after makeshift boat carrying estimated 60 people capsizes off Puerto Rico, U.S. Coast Guard says; survivors report machete altercation forced people into the water. pic.twitter.com/UhSqKilQhg
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) September 28, 2026
Survivors told authorities that before the shipwreck, a fight broke out on the vessel, an incident in which several people were seriously injured.
In the midst of the emergency, some of the occupants jumped into the sea and tried to swim to Isla de Mona, according to the testimonies collected during the operation.
Another factor greatly increased the danger: the people traveling on the vessel were not wearing life jackets, according to information attributed to the Coast Guard.
Authorities are keeping the balance provisional while the search continues, so the numbers of survivors, fatalities, and missing persons may change as the operation progresses.
Coast Guard maintains search for migrants in Puerto Rico
The case again puts the focus on the Mona Channel, a maritime route used by migrants attempting to reach Puerto Rico irregularly from the Dominican Republic.
The crossing poses risks due to maritime conditions and the frequent use of precarious vessels. The currents in the channel can also vary due to wind and tidal effects.
The tragedy occurs just days after the Coast Guard reported on the repatriation of over a hundred Haitian and Dominican migrants intercepted in two operations near western Puerto Rico.
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The new shipwreck once again highlights the risks of these journeys, especially when vessels lack basic safety equipment and transport numerous people through open waters.
What is known about the operation off Isla de Mona
Search and rescue efforts remain a priority given the possibility that there may still be survivors at sea or people who have managed to reach areas of Isla de Mona.
The exact number of occupants was not initially confirmed, as the estimate of around 60 people came from the testimonies provided by the first survivors.
Authorities will also have to reconstruct what happened before the shipwreck and determine what relationship the reported incident on board had with the moment the vessel capsized.
As the operation continues, the case leaves two confirmed deaths and dozens of survivors, but keeps the search for missing persons open in one of the most dangerous maritime migration corridors in the Caribbean.
SOURCE: EFE