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HomeNewsArchivesHAITIAN MAN DROWNS, OTHERS DETAINED

HAITIAN MAN DROWNS, OTHERS DETAINED

One man drowned and about a dozen others were taken into custody Friday after their boat ran aground near Lindqvist Beach.
Police officials said the passengers were Haitians trying to enter the territory illegally, according to media reports.
The 25-foot boat with twin outboard engines carrying at least 12 people ran aground on a reef near Lindqvist, on St. Thomas's East End, at 5:04 a.m.
It was unclear from the media reports how many people were on board.
The reports said seven people — two men, three women and two children — were rescued, treated for their injuries and turned over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Another six people were taken into custody by Planning and Natural Resources enforcement officers, the Daily News story said. The body of the drowning victim was recovered.
The boaters were on a homemade vessel called Confiance en Dieu — Faith in God.
The Independent said police units from Zone C Command were patroling the Smith Bay Road when they saw three men and a woman coming out of a cow pasture near Lindqvist Beach.
"Two of the males ran into the bushes when approached by the patrol unit," acting Police Chief Jose Garcia told the Independent. Police apprehended one man and the woman who told them other people were on the beach. When police went to the beach, they heard people screaming for help in the water.
Participating in the rescue were DPNR, INS and the Police Department, including the Blue Lightning and marine units.

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