BOCA RATON, Fla. (HPD) — The 98 mostly Haitian migrants who were rescued in the waters off Florida had been without food or water for two days, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the 96 Haitians, one Ugandan and one Bahamian about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Boca Raton, Florida, last week. They were referred to Bahamian authorities on Sunday.
The passengers told the Coast Guard that they had been at sea for a week and two days without food or water. There were 53 men, 35 women and 10 children on the raft, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
Nobody was hurt.
“The smugglers don’t care if anyone lives or dies,” Coast Guard Capt. Robert Kinsey said, referring to the lack of food on the boat.
“These people are lucky to be alive.”