U.S. Coast Guard crews were searching into the night for 39 people whose boat sank off Florida's coast over the weekend after traveling from the Bahamas.
The big picture: A "good Samaritan" contacted the Coast Guard about 8 a.m. Tuesday to say they "rescued a man clinging to a capsized vessel" 45 miles east of Fort Pierce, per a tweet from the agency, which noted it was dealing with "a suspected human smuggling venture."
Details: "The survivor reported he left Bimini, Bahamas with 39 other people Saturday night and encountered severe weather, causing the vessel to capsize Sunday morning," per a Coast Guard statement issued Tuesday night
- No one on the 25-foot boat was wearing a life jacket, according to the survivor.
- "The survivor was brought to a local hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure," the Coast Guard said.
- Multiple teams were searching for the vessel by air and sea in areas from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet and planned to continue operations overnight, according to the Coast Guard.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
