MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended its search for an overdue boat en route from the Bahamas with 20 people on board to Florida after authorities said they had exhausted their efforts to find it.
The Coast Guard departed Monday from Bimini, the Bahamas, a 29-foot blue-and-white Mako Cuddy Cabin.
The boat did not arrive as expected in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, which is about 20 miles south of Palm Beach.
The Coast Guard said it and other agencies, including authorities in the Bahamas, searched about 17,000 square kilometers for more than three days.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the missing people,” said Capt. Stephen V. Burdian, head of the Seventh District response, said. “I encourage anyone with information about the people on board to contact us as soon as possible.”
Authorities in the Bahamas reported that the boat went missing after a family member of someone on board did not receive a call that the boat had come to South Florida, said Jose Hernandez, third class.
“Every time we have to call for a suspension, it’s not easy,” he said.
Many officers about the trip, including the reason why the boat would go to Florida and the names and nationalities of those on board, were not immediately known, NCO Hernandez said.
The search could resume if officials find new reliable information about the boat, he said.
“This whole time it was a matter of search and rescue,” he said. “At the moment, the suspension only means that we will focus on other matters until we get more information, then we will look for this particular vessel and people.”