MIAMI — A search is underway for 39 people said to be missing after the boat they were in reportedly capsized Saturday night, according to the Coast Guard.
It's believed the boat was part of a human smuggling operation, the agency said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
A good Samaritan reported to Coast Guard Sector Miami that they rescued a man seen clinging to a capsized vessel about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet, the Coast Guard said. The reported one lone survivor said he left Bimini, Bahamas, with 39 other people and ran into severe weather.
The turbulent seas were said to have caused the boat to capsize. No one was wearing a life jacket, the survivor told the Coast Guard.
"Coast Guard air and surface asset crews are actively searching for people in the water," it said.