ARTICLE - SLOOP OF MIGRANTS RUNS AGROUND

SLOOP WITH MORE THAN 100 HAITIAN MIGRANTS RUNS AGROUND
(Nassau Guardian) - By Chester Robards

A sloop holding more than 100 Haitian migrants, including a one-month-old baby boy, ran aground in shallow waters off of south eastern New Providence yesterday morning, Officer in Charge of the Eastern Division Superintendent Ismella Davis told The Nassau Guardian yesterday.

Davis said that police received reports about the sloop from area residents at about 10 a.m. and explained that the response from Police, the Defence Force and the Immigration Department was immediate.

When The Guardian arrived at the makeshift control center behind the Gulfstream apartments off of Hanna Road, almost 30 Haitians had already been apprehended, including a mother and her one-month-old baby. The mother and baby were being treated by emergency medical services personnel on the scene for possible dehydration, according to Davis, and were both later transported to the hospital.

She said the residents in the area played a huge role in helping authorities to apprehend the migrants, who all had already left the sloop and dispersed in several different directions when authorities arrived.

One Haitian woman was found emerging from the bushes by a family living a few hundred yards from where the sloop ran aground.

Renita Cleare said the Haitian woman motioned for her to come over to where she was. Cleare said she instead waved the woman over to her.

She said she and her boyfriend attempted to communicate with the woman, who gestured to them that she was hungry and thirsty.

Cleare said they took the woman into their house, sat her on the floor and gave her water, grape soda and food.

“We were trying to communicate with her as best we could but with limited Creole and limited English going both ways, it was sort of difficult,” she said. “She was pointing at her stomach like she wanted food.”

When The Guardian arrived at Cleare’s residence police officers were placing the Haitian woman, who was barefoot, into a van.

The sloop the migrants came from Haiti on was yards from shore past thick mangroves, where Defence Force officers said some of them were found hiding. The sail of the vessel was still raised and full.

The mess aboard the boat told of the squalid conditions the migrants had to endure during what immigration officials said was likely a ten-day journey.

Davis said the help of residents was critical in relaying information to police regarding the whereabouts of some of the migrants in the immediate area, and in helping the migrants by providing them with water and clothing.

“We would like to thank the residents in this community who would have come and assisted, provided the information and who provided clothing, food items and water,” she said.

“I can say that this is a very good community. This is what we are talking about when we talk about Bahamianization.”