2 killed, 40 rescued after boat with 60 onboard capsizes near Puerto Rico, several still missing

At least two people were killed after a makeshift boat capsized near an island west of Puerto Rico on Sunday, September 27, 2026 (Sunday). In a news release, the US Coast Guard said on Monday (September 28, 2026) that a boat with around 60 occupants capsized near Mona Island, about 10 miles west of Puerto Rico.

The incident occurred at around 11 PM on Sunday after a “fight broke out and people were severely injured by a machete.” According to the release, none of the occupants in the boat were wearing life jackets. They were then forced to jump into the water and tried to swim to Mona Island.

Survivors stayed inside water for 12 hours

The survivors stayed inside the water for over 12 hours. They were rescued by a boat that came across the group around afternoon on Monday, September 28, 2026. The people on the boat alerted authorities and rescued four people from the water.

“Motor Vessel Tripiti crew members reported to Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders at approximately noon, they rescued four people in the water," the news release stated. The two victims who lost their lives in the incident were located by the U.S. Coast Guard and its partners in Operation Vigilant Sentry and Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. 40 more passengers were also rescued. It is pertinent to mention that several people who were aboard the vessel remained missing at the time of filing of this report.

Authorities are searching the Florida Straits, Windward Passage, Mona Passage, and Caribbean Sea. It was unclear where the makeshift boat originated from. The latest incident related to the capsizing of a boat emerged after years of reports of similar incidents as migrants from countries including Haiti seek to escape violence in their home countries, including a 2022 incident in which 11 people died and 38 were rescued, PEOPLE reported.