The U.S. Coast Guard says a makeshift boat carrying about 60 people capsized near Mona Island around 11 p.m. on Sept. 27 after a violent fight on board involving a machete. Survivors spent roughly 12 hours in the water without life jackets before another vessel found them the next day. Two people were found dead and 40 others rescued; several remain missing as searches continue across the Florida Straits, Windward Passage, Mona Passage and adjacent waters. The incident highlights ongoing dangerous migration routes tied to instability and displacement, particularly in Haiti.
Makeshift Boat Capsizes Near Mona Island: 2 Dead, 40 Rescued and Several Missing After Machete Fight
A vessel in the ocean awaiting rescue on Sept. 28, 2026 near Mona IslandCredit: United States Coast Guard
Two people were confirmed dead and dozens more were rescued after a makeshift vessel carrying roughly 60 people capsized late on Sunday, Sept. 27, about 10 miles west of Puerto Rico near Mona Island, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
The Coast Guard reported the boat overturned at about 11 p.m. following a violent altercation aboard in which several people were reportedly wounded by a machete. Passengers who were not incapacitated were forced to jump into the water and attempt to swim to Mona Island; none were wearing life jackets, the agency said.
A nearby vessel encountered the group around noon on Monday, Sept. 28, and alerted authorities. That boat's crew pulled four people from the water before Coast Guard and partner rescue teams arrived. U.S. Coast Guard units operating with partner agencies under Operation Vigilant Sentry and Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos subsequently located two deceased individuals and recovered 40 additional survivors. Several people who were aboard the original craft remain unaccounted for, and search operations are ongoing.
A vessel in the ocean awaiting rescue on Sept. 28, 2026 near Mona IslandCredit: United States Coast Guard
Search Area and Ongoing Response
Authorities expanded search efforts across a wide area, including the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage and parts of the Caribbean Sea. Multiple agencies and partner nations participated in the response; officials continue to search for missing passengers and attempt to determine the vessel's point of origin.
Context
The capsizing is the latest in a string of dangerous, often deadly voyages by makeshift boats in the region. Similar incidents have involved migrants—many from Haiti—seeking to escape violence and instability. In 2022, a separate capsizing left 11 people dead and 38 rescued. In the same time frame as this incident, authorities in the Turks and Caicos intercepted a makeshift boat carrying about 60 Haitian migrants on Sept. 22, and roughly 240 migrants were detained near the archipelago in June; reporting by The Miami Herald indicates about 1,435 Haitian migrants were stopped in the Turks and Caicos in 2026.
Observers link the dangerous crossings to the broader crisis in Haiti: a United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) report released Sept. 25 said roughly 1.5 million people in Haiti have been displaced by gang-related violence.
Official Note: The U.S. Coast Guard continues search-and-rescue operations. Further updates will be provided by authorities as more information becomes available.
Image credit: United States Coast Guard
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