132 Migrants Rescued From Overloaded 50-Foot Boat

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable repatriated 132 Haitian migrants to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this morning at 10:00. The migrants were rescued from their dangerously overloaded 50-foot sail freighter after five days at sea 10 miles south of West Caicos Island in the Caribbean. The migrants were spotted by an Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos helicopter early Saturday morning. That evening, the Dependable and an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Traverse City, Mich., were on scene to assist with disembarking the migrants from the sail freighter. The migrants were in good condition, and their vessel was destroyed as a hazard to navigation. Once on board Coast Guard cutters, all migrants receive food, water, and any necessary medical attention. Determination of a migrant's status is made by the U.S. Government and coordinated by Homeland Security immigration officials. The Dependable is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter out of Cape May, N.J.