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Police Find Bodies In Shark-Infested Waters Near Bahamas

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Associated Press

Published: May 28, 2008

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Police responding to reports of a capsized speedboat discovered the bodies of four people believed to be Haitian migrants in bloody, shark-infested waters between Florida and the Bahamas, authorities said Tuesday.

Sharks devoured one of the bodies in front of rescuers. The amount of blood near the 27-foot boat suggests there were other victims whose bodies were not recovered, Bahamas police spokesman Basil Rahming said.

Thousands of Haitians leave their impoverished homeland on rickety, overcrowded boats each year in hopes of reaching the United States or other islands. Last month, at least 20 died when their boat capsized on a trip from Nassau, Bahamas, to Florida.

The capsized boat, which was found Sunday about 13 miles west of Grand Bahama island, was apparently aiming for the U.S. coast before it capsized in rough water, Rahming said.

A U.S. tourist vessel that was the first to arrive after the Coast Guard reported the overturned boat discovered a "horrific" scene, said Laine Sheridan, director of operations for the Riviera Beach-based Gulf Stream Eagle tourist boat.

"What appeared to be two or three lifejackets tangled in some fishing line actually ended up being dead passengers," Sheridan said.

He said crew member Jonathan Rose, 26, jumped into the water and recovered one body but retreated because there were tiger sharks circling in the water. Rose went back in with another crew member to protect him from the sharks and dove down to the boat's cabin, where he found two more bodies.

Soon after, Bahamian authorities arrived and took over the operation, Sheridan said.

A search for survivors was called off Monday.

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