11 rescued, 1 dead after boat capsizes off Florida

[June 15, 2011]  DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Eleven people were rescued from a boat that capsized while being followed by the U.S. Coast Guard off the Florida coast.

Petty Officer Nick Ameen says a cutter began following the 25-foot boat around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday because it did not have its navigational lights on.

Ameen says the boat tried to elude authorities before stopping around 4:30 a.m. about a dozen miles off Delray Beach. That's when the boat capsized.

Petty Officer Krystyna Hannum says one person was taken to a hospital. The rest were being questioned aboard the cutter. A Palm Beach County Sheriff's dive team found one body beneath the sunken boat.

The Coast Guard says the 10 passengers being questioned claim Jamaican nationality. Authorities believe the boat was part of a migrant smuggling operation.

[Associated Press]

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