Ten people were discovered grabbing the hull of their boat which capsized Wednesday off the coast of South Florida confining four dead women, and one survivor in a small compartment of air under the water transporter the Associated Press reported.
Fifteen people have been recovered so far from an accident that found them on their way to escape the countries of Haiti, Cuba, and other Carribbean countries in an attempt to enter the United States, several thousand people try every year.
"...Obviously, 15 people on a boat, transiting in the middle of the night with no life jackets is a very, very unsafe condition," Darren Caprara, Coast Guard Commander told the Associated Press. "Sadly, and tragically, we did find four females, adults, underneath the boat that had perished."
Rescuers found the lone survivor was transported to Miami Beach hospital after rescuers found he was suffering seizures when they turned the boat over.
Caprara also told the AP, he and authorities were working to determine if the people in the small white boat, mainly used for recreation, were Haitian and Jamacian.
"That's still a lengthy process that involves contacting other countries and doing some investigatory research," Caprara told the Associated Press.
"It should be no surprise to anyone so long as the disparity between the poorest place in the Western Hemisphere and the richest place in the hemisphere is so grave and the distances covered are considered worth the risk," David Abraham, an immigration law professor at the University of Miami School of Law told the AP.
While 15 people were found following the ordeal, more people may still be missing USA Today reported.
"Fifteen was the original amount. We're making sure we're very thorough in the search," Mark Barney, a coast guard petty officer told USA Today.
In data collected up until Sept. 30, the coast guard has gathered 508 Haitians, and 1,357 Cubans in the waters. Between their countries and Miami.
