The Coast Guard suspended its search for 10 missing migrants on Saturday who were on a boat from Cuba that had overturned off the coast of Florida.
Eight people were rescued on Thursday 16 miles southwest of Key West when the boat capsized. Two people were pronounced dead and 10 others were missing.
The guard made the announcement about halting the effort after 123 hours of a search that spanned the size of New Hampshire. The Navy, Air Force, Customs and Border Protection and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission were also assisting in the search.
“The Coast Guard, partner Department of Defense and local agency crews searched continuously the past three days to locate the missing 10 people,” Capt. Adam Chamie, Commander of Sector Key West, said in a statement on Sunday.
“The decision to suspend a search is always difficult and is made after careful consideration of all the facts. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”
The Coast Guard said the eight who were rescued told them the group left Puerto de Mariel, Cuba, on Sunday and capsized sometime Wednesday evening.
The migrants were spotted while a coast guard crew was doing routine patrol on Thursday afternoon.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
