At Least 9 Dead as Migrants' Boat Capsizes Off Fla.

28 Haitian and Bahamian migrants were aboard: Coast Guard

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted May 13, 2009 2:56 PM CDT

(Newser) – As many as nine people are dead after a boat carrying 28 Haitian and Bahamian migrants capsized 15 miles off the Florida coast this morning, the Palm Beach Post reports. About half the passengers have been located and the search is continuing, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel adds. Some passengers may have been in the water since 2am.

"With that many people in the water, you never know what's going to happen," said the owner of a private diving outfit who'd offered assistance only to be turned away by authorities, who have set up a temporary morgue in a park in Boynton Inlet.

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Large waves break on the fishing pier in Boynton Beach, Fla., in this file photo. 28 people were on a boat that capsized this morning about 15 miles east of this inlet. (AP Photo)

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We're just waiting to see who needs our help. - Shelly Weiss, Delray Medical Center spokeswoman

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At Least 9 Dead as Migrants' Boat Capsizes Off Fla.