Crews Search for Missing Migrant After Rescuing 28 in Rough Seas Off Florida Coast

Coast Guard crews continue searching for a migrant who went missing after falling off a makeshift boat near the Florida Keys. Crews received information regarding migrants in the water and rescued 28 from the sea and an unseaworthy vessel.

Coast Guard Station Key West rescue crews began searching for a missing migrant on Tuesday after a good Samaritan notified them of migrants in the water. Coast Guard air and surface crews responded to the area of the sighting and began a search and rescue operation in rough seas.

#BreakingNews @USCG searching for a missing person, rescues 28 off #KeyWest.

Have info regarding this person, call Sector Key West @ 305-292-8727.

Our crews will cont. to search for this person until all efforts are
exhausted. – Capt. Ingram, SKW

Read: https://t.co/5Bl7Hu0Pkb pic.twitter.com/E0L6O0Gizi

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 21, 2023

Officials said the crews rescued 18 people from the water and ten more from a migrant vessel. Two of the migrants had to be medevaced to receive a higher level of care.

One person from the group is reported to be missing at sea, a statement from the Coast Guard reports. A search for the missing person continued into Tuesday night and resumed on Wednesday, officials stated.

#Update @USCG crews continue to search today for the missing person in the water. If you have information regarding this person, call Sector Key West @ 305-292-8727. #SAR

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 22, 2023

“Coast Guard crews will continue to search for this person until all efforts are exhausted,” said Capt. Jason Ingram, commander, Sector Key West. “Taking to the sea in dangerous weather and un-seaworthy vessels greatly increases the risk for loss of life. Don’t take to the sea. Use safe and legal means of immigrating to the U.S.”

Weather off #KeyWest is not pretty right now. Don’t forget to check @NWSKeyWest before taking your vessel out! A deployed crew from Maritime Safety & Security Team #NewYork is on patrol with a Station Key West boat crew. If you see them, wave hi! #BoatSafe #BoatResponsibly pic.twitter.com/aqpvlBGsom

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 21, 2023

Officials report five-foot seas and 20-knot winds at the time of the incident. The nationalities of the migrants were not released in this statement.