The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has sent one of its helicopters and crew to the Turks and Caicos Islands, after at least seven Haitians died when their boat capsized following a collision with a police vessel earlier this week.
The bodies of the seven were recovered off the island of Providenciales on Monday night. The Royal Turks and Caicos Police Service carried out a search-and-rescue operation in local waters, and rescued 64 others – 41 men and 23 women – according to a press release from the TCI police.
In that release issued on Tuesday, TCI Acting Commissioner of Police Kendall Grant said, “It is unclear how many irregular migrants were on board the vessel. However, the search will continue.”
TCI police said the two vessels collided as the Haitian boat neared Providenciales. The police Marine Branch Unit’s M/V Sea Guardian boat, which was on patrol at the time, had been alerted to the vessel, while it was still four miles from land.
The rescued Haitians, along with 16 others from the boat who had made it to land, are being detained by immigration authorities.
Governor Nigel Dakin, in a statement, described the boat the Haitians had been travelling in as an “unsafe overloaded vessel”.
Several thousand Haitian migrants are believed to be living illegally in Turks and Caicos, after making the 185-mile trip from Haiti on boats.
The Cayman police helicopter and crew were deployed following a request from the TCI government, on Wednesday morning, 1 Dec. This will be the first of two two-week deployments to the islands, the RCIPS said.
The support mission is being funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Cayman has two H145 helicopters, one of which will remain here.
The RCIPS previously sent helicopter assistance to TCI in 2017 to support the Hurricane Irma response and, in 2018, to carry out security patrols with the Royal Navy RFA Mounts Bay. Also in 2019, an RCIPS helicopter and crew flew to the Bahamas to help with Hurricane Dorian response.
Governor Martyn Roper, in a statement, said, “Cayman has a long and proud record of supporting neighbouring Overseas Territories and countries. I am delighted that we are once again able to support TCI who do not have the benefit of their own helicopters to provide air support of this nature. I am very grateful to the team who volunteered for this assignment just before Christmas. I wish them every success in their work”.
In the same statement, issued by the RCIPS, Premier Wayne Panton said, “It is always wonderful to be able to assist when our sister British Overseas Territories are in need. We are in a very fortunate position to be able to lend our support. We know that TCI would reciprocate if we found ourselves in need.”
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