2009 Turks and Caicos Islands migrant shipwreck

The 2009 Turks and Caicos Islands migrant shipwreck was the loss of a motorless boat carrying Haitian migrants near the British Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern West Indies, late on the night of 26 July 2009. Sixty-five persons went missing;[1] earlier figures of 79 missing migrants were reduced as bodies were recovered.[2] After 2 days at least fifteen corpses had been located.[1][2]

The shipwreck occurred near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The boat had spent three days at sea before it capsized.[3] One survivor said the craft ended up on a reef while attempting to escape a patrolling police vessel.[3][4] A Turks and Caicos police sergeant confirmed that the boat hit Molasses Reef near West Caicos.[2] Of the 124 people who were rescued, 102 were male; 22 were female.[2] Several severely injured migrants were helicoptered to a hospital in Providenciales.[2] Many were brought ashore aboard small boats, whilst five migrants were located alive and well after seemingly having swum to safety.[5]

The incident was reported to the United States Coast Guard by authorities from Turks and Caicos.[5] A spokesperson for the Coast Guard said they rescued 113 migrants and were assisting in the search for those who were still missing.[3] He said they were "hopeful" of finding more missing migrants alive but that "it has been a night and we have not located any additional people".[3] A helicopter and a cutter were also sent by the United States.[3]

An investigation was started to determine the cause.[4] The boat had no motor.[5] Hubert Hughes, Turks and Caicos Deputy Police Commissioner, claimed police had not been chasing the boat and only assisted when it became apparent that it had gotten into trouble.[5]

Haitians were immediately repatriated.[1] The incident followed the interception of 124 Haitian migrants from what was described as a "grossly overloaded" boat travelling southwest of this shipwreck.[2] Those migrants were quickly returned to Haiti.[2]