Boat capsizes; 4 killed off Miami coast

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

A small white boat with its center console missing sits on the dock after authorities lifted it out of the water, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, in Miami Beach, Fla. Four women died and 10 people were taken into custody after the boat with more than a dozen people aboard, including Haitian and Jamaican nationals, capsized early Wednesday in the waters off South Florida. It was overloaded and lacked lifejackets, according to the Coast Guard. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (AP Photo)

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October 16, 2013 ( MIAMI) -- Four people died and another was hospitalized after a boat with more than a dozen people aboard - including Haitian and Jamaican nationals - capsized early Wednesday in the waters off South Florida.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded around 1 a.m. after a 911 call alerted authorities to an overturned recreational vessel seven miles east of Miami.

Nine people were found clinging to the hull, said Petty Officer Mark Barney.

A 10th person was taken by boat to Miami Beach, where he was brought to a hospital, Barney said. It wasn't immediately clear why he was hospitalized.

The rest of the group was taken into custody.

The nine people found clinging to the hull were Haitian and Jamaican nationals, but the nationalities of the rest of the group were not immediately known, Barney said.

Four bodies were recovered from the water and the Coast Guard was searching for more possible survivors. Barney said authorities have received conflicting reports about whether more people had been aboard the boat.

"Fifteen was the original amount. We're making sure we're very thorough in the search," Barney said.

Images of the vessel show a small white boat with its center console missing.

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