SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard rescue crews continue searching Monday for a missing yola (boat) with more than 40 Dominican migrants aboard, that reportedly went missing while traveling illegally to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.
The incident was initially reported to the Coast Guard Sector San Juan Joint Rescue Sub Center at 11:40 p.m. Saturday by a woman who claimed her boyfriend departed from the Dominican Republic Wednesday night aboard a yola with more than 40 migrants aboard. The group of migrants aboard the yola never reached Puerto Rico shores, after they were expected to arrive Friday.
Coast Guard rescue crews have been searching since Sunday aboard HH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico, a HU-25 Falcon Jet from Air Station Miami, an Air Station Clearwater, Fla. HC-130 Hercules aircraft, and the Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous hoping to find any signs of the missing yola or survivors. The crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft also assisted in the search efforts.
The Coast Guard requests that anyone with information that may assist in this case contact the Sector San Juan Joint Rescue Sub Center at (787) 289-2041.
Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous is a medium endurance cutter homported in Cape May, N.J.
