Five stowaways in custody, one missing in Jacksonville
Two Dominican migrants were plucked from the water of the St. Johns River near Jacksonville and three others recovered by authorities after they had stowed away on a Trailer Bridge barge in the Dominican Republic.
One other man was still missing, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.
The Coast Guard said the stowaways had apparently been aboard the Trailer Bridge barge Chicago Bridge, which was coming into the Port of Jacksonville Sunday night from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The Coast Guard said two river pilots heard calls for help around 8:35 p.m. Sunday. The pilots launched a boat and rescued two migrants, who were transferred to a Coast Guard rescue boat and then to Jacksonville Fire-Rescue. A third jumper was found walking near the Mayport Naval Station Monday morning. Customs and Border Protection officers found two more stowaways still aboard the barge. After being examined at Baptist Beaches Medical Center, they were turned over to CBP.
The stowaways told authorities four men had jumped from the barge. If the fourth man in the water did not make it to shore, the Coast Guard said, he could not have survived in the 50-degree waters for more than six hours.
The search for the missing man was conducted through Monday afternoon, but was then called off.
Five stowaways in custody, one missing in Jacksonville
