Nine people remain missing in the waters southeast of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa makes its way through Florida, according to the United States Coast Guard.
Coast Guard crew members and a good Samaritan rescued at least 13 Cuban migrants on Tuesday as heavy rain and winds caused their vehicle to capsize with 22 people aboard at around 8 p.m. on Monday, according to a press readout.
Nine men and four women were rescued after the end of Tuesday’s search, but crews are maintaining rescue options as they search for nine more missing people on Wednesday.
“The search for more survivors continue as we evaluate the health and provide medical attention for those rescued,” the Coast Guard wrote in a tweet.
ELSA PICKS UP STEAM AS FLORIDA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
#UPDATE 3 more survivors were rescued. Photos of the scene from @USCG Cutter Thetis. The search for more survivors continue as we evaluate the health and provide medical attention for those rescued. pic.twitter.com/9eD0VeioGI
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) July 6, 2021
An independent vessel rescued four stranded people located roughly 26 miles southeast of Key West at around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while boat operators alerted the Coast Guard to their location. Officials responded with airplanes, helicopters, and ships to locate nine more survivors.
No other details were immediately available.
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Elsa approached landfall in western Florida Wednesday morning and could cause coastal flooding, wind damage, and power outages in the Southeast.
