14195: (Chamberlain) U.S. Coast Guard plucks Haitians from sea (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     MIAMI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Coast Guard plucked about 40 Haitian
migrants from the sea when their overloaded sailboat nearly capsized in the
Florida Straits, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday.
     Three Haitians were believed to be missing after the incident, which
took place on Saturday about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of the Bahamian
island of Great Inagua.
     A total of 192 Hatians from the ill-fated voyage were repatriated on
Tuesday.
     The rescue operation took place after a Coast Guard cutter intercepted
the boat trying to make its way to the United States packed with illegal
migrants.
     About 40 went into the water. Coast Guard crewmen threw in life
jackets and launched life rafts to save them. A helicopter and plane also
joined the unsuccessful search for three missing people.
     Prior to this incident the Coast Guard had intercepted 985 Haitians at
sea this year, compared to 1956 in 2001.
     Haiti, with a population of 7 million, is the poorest country in the
Americas and is undergoing a bout of political unrest as discontent grows
against the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.