A boat with 20 people on board has disappeared between the Bahamas and Florida, announced the United States Coast Guard who interrupted their search on Friday after three days of unsuccessful efforts.
The ship, which left the Bimini Islands on Monday, was due to sail to Lake Worth, in the United States, about 130 km away.
On Tuesday, the coast guard was alerted that he had not arrived safely, according to a statement.
For more than three days, they carried out air and sea searches with teams from the two countries over approximately 44,000 km2 but suspended them on Friday at noon, they explain.
"Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the missing," said Captain Stephen Burdian, who called on anyone with information to contact the Coast Guard.
Authorities in the Bahamas reported the boat missing on Tuesday after a family member of someone on board did not receive a call advising them the boat had arrived in South Florida, said on Saturday U.S. Coast Guard Quartermaster Third Class Jose Hernandez to the media.
Awaiting information
Many details of the voyage, including the reason the boat was heading to Florida, the part of Lake Worth Beach it was heading to, the capacity of the boat, and the names and nationalities of those on board, were not disclosed. immediately accessible, said Quartermaster Hernandez.
Only precision, it was about a blue and white ship of 29 feet, a common model of "Mako Cuddy Cabin".
He added that it was still a difficult decision to suspend investigation. The investigation could resume if authorities obtain new credible information about the boat, he added.
“The first reports indicate that 20 people were on board but this number could change with more information,” he added.
“All this time it was a search and rescue business and nothing else,” he explained.
“For now, the suspension just means that we focus on other business until we get more information, and then we will search for this particular vessel and these people,” the communications officer concluded.