Four bodies found floating in debris off Florida coast

[August 25, 2014]  (Reuters) - Four bodies were found floating in debris off the Atlantic coast of Florida on Sunday but no boat wreckage has been discovered, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Two people boating in the Atlantic Ocean near Hollywood, Florida, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, spotted two male bodies early Sunday and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, a spokesman said.

A search ensued, and the body of a woman was recovered a short distance away. Later, a fourth male victim was also recovered, the Coast Guard said.

There was no boat or boat wreckage in the vicinity, about 20 nautical miles (37 km) off the Florida coast, and it was unclear whether the victims were from the United States, Cuba or another Caribbean country.
 

"We won't even have an inkling on identity until the medical examiner completes an investigation," Coast Guard spokesman Mark Barney said.

The bodies were found in what is known as a trashline, or a layer of debris, floating on the top of the ocean.

Aerial teams have spotted what appears to be three other bodies, but the report was unconfirmed until they could be recovered, Barney said.

Crews were working through the night to look for a boat, bodies or people in distress, he said.

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Seattle; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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