A wooden ship carrying 356 migrants from Haiti ran aground Sunday off the coast of Florida.
Authorities were notified around 1:20 p.m. Sunday when the ship was spotted listing sharply, according to Fox 13. After running aground, 163 migrants jumped off the ship and swam to shore.
“All of their lives were at risk during this journey,” said Adam Hoffner, U.S. Border Patrol’s acting division chief of the Miami Sector, Fox 13 reported. “It’s most definitely a notable sized group of migrants, especially on that type of vessel, 356 migrants on board the vessel that was not seaworthy and very dangerous conditions with the weather and high winds.”
Many of the migrants who were on board the ship needed medical attention, according to a tweet by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Agent Walter Slosar.
Our priority is keeping everyone safe after this dangerous voyage and grounding. “Multiple agencies responded quickly & worked closely to protect a lot of lives today.” – Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman, #CoastGuard District Seven. @mcsonews @MyFWC @MiamiDadeFire pic.twitter.com/4SrZSgLShK
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 7, 2022
“Our priority is keeping everyone safe after this dangerous voyage and grounding,” the U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District tweeted Sunday. (RELATED: Over 160 Migrants Drowned From Shipwrecks In One Week: REPORT)
Authorities also rescued 176 Haitian migrants Jan. 10 from an overloaded wooden sailboat in the same area.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller for comment.