A boat carrying migrants overturned off the coast of Florida on Wednesday, leaving 23 people missing, according to a statement from the US Border Patrol released as the hurricane approached the US state, CBS News reported.
Four Cuban migrants swam to shore after their boat capsized due to bad weather, Miami Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar wrote on Twitter. He added that “U.S. Border Patrol agents… reacted to a migrant landing in Stock Island, Florida.”
The Coast Guard told CBS News that three persons were later saved in the ocean two miles south of Boca Chica. Later, when the survivors were complaining of being exhausted and dehydrated, they were transferred to the neighboring hospital. The hunt for the missing continues.
The violent storm that hit the US caused more than one million Florida residents to lose power, and numerous residences were ordered to be evacuated. In addition, Hurricane Ian brought severe rains and wind gusts of up to 250 km/h (155 mph).
Due to hurricane Ian, the majority of west-central Florida has seen heavy rain and wind. Al Jazeera cited the National Hurricane Center while stating that Hurricane Ian had caused “catastrophic” flooding and wind damage on Florida’s southwest coast.
