Mysterious migrant boat washes ashore in front of collapsed Surfside building
A migrant boat washed ashore on the beach in Surfside Tuesday morning, just steps away from the grim pile of rubble where search and rescue crews are digging for survivors after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South last week.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat had been intercepted Monday with 11 people aboard, and that it drifted to the beach in Surfside. The Coast Guard did not say where the vessel was intercepted and didn’t know the nationalities of the migrants. It’s also unclear whether they have been detained.
The vessel, made of corrugated metal and painted blue, has some writing on its port side that started with “Los 1,000,” according to Miami Herald photos. The Coast Guard wrote “OK CG” in red after it was intercepted. Gasoline canisters can be seen inside, as well as a blue plastic tarp and what appears to be a deflated inner tube.
A bulldozer pulled the boat south along the water’s edge to an undisclosed location while about 25 rescue workers were seen digging along an inclined trench on the beach-facing area of the pile of debris.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 12:17 PM.
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