Mona Island Shipwreck Off Puerto Rico: 40 Rescued, 2 Dead on Dominican Migrant Route
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · MIGRATION
Key Facts
- —The country The Dominican Republic, separated from Puerto Rico, a US territory, by the Mona Passage. The strait is a main irregular sea route towards the United States.
- —What happened A makeshift boat capsized about 10 miles off Mona Island at around 11 p.m. on 27 September, the US Coast Guard said. Survivors described a machete fight on board.
- —The numbers At least 40 rescued and two bodies recovered as of 28 September, according to the Coast Guard. Survivors estimated about 60 aboard; none wore life jackets.
- —What it means for you Expect continued joint US, Puerto Rican and Dominican sea patrols on both coasts. The Dominican Navy has urged people to avoid clandestine crossings.
- —Still open The final toll, the passengers’ nationalities and the point of departure. The Dominican Navy later reported 48 rescued and three dead, a count the Coast Guard has not confirmed.
The Mona Island shipwreck has left two people dead and at least 40 rescued, the US Coast Guard said on 28 September. Survivors said about 60 people had been aboard the makeshift boat.
The boat capsized in the Mona Passage, the strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Survivors said a machete fight on board had driven people into the water.
How the Rescue Unfolded
The crew of the motor vessel Tripiti alerted the Coast Guard’s San Juan sector at about noon on Monday, 28 September. They had found four people in the water about 10 miles (16 km) off Mona Island.
Survivors said the boat overturned at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, Puerto Rico time. A fight had broken out, several people were badly wounded with a machete, and others jumped overboard.
Some tried to swim to Mona Island, an uninhabited nature reserve roughly midway between the two coasts. The Coast Guard said no one on the boat had worn a life jacket.
The cutter Joseph Doyle and aircraft from Coast Guard air stations Borinquen and Miami joined the search. US Customs and Border Protection, Puerto Rico police and the island’s natural resources rangers also took part.
The Dominican Republic’s air force joined too, MarineLink and the San Juan daily Primera Hora reported. Crews from both coasts searched within hours.
Counts Still Differ
The Coast Guard figure of 40 rescued and two dead is the most widely reported count. El Vocero, another San Juan daily, reported 42 survivors and one body in its own Monday tally.
The Dominican Navy said its units, working with the Coast Guard, rescued 26 people in good health, Acento reported. It did not say whether they are part of the Coast Guard’s 40.
Late on 28 September the Dominican Navy gave a higher toll of 48 rescued and three bodies recovered, the Dominican broadcaster Telemicro reported. The Coast Guard had not confirmed that count by Tuesday morning.
Metro Puerto Rico reported that a woman found at sea by a fisherman said she had travelled with about 50 people. Authorities had not confirmed her account.
Diario Libre, carrying a report by the Spanish news agency EFE, put the missing at more than 15. That estimate rests on the survivors’ figure of about 60 aboard.
A Route With a Long Record
Diario Libre described the passage as a route often used by Dominicans and Haitians trying to reach Puerto Rico. A landing there puts migrants on US soil, because the island is an American territory.
An EFE report of 4 September said the Coast Guard stopped an overloaded boat carrying 77 people. They were 73 Dominicans and four Haitians.
On 8 September crews intercepted another boat off Aguadilla, in north-western Puerto Rico, with 51 aboard. The Dominican outlet N Digital reported that 34 were Dominican and 17 Haitian.
The waters have seen heavier losses. On 12 May 2022, a boat capsized north of Desecheo island, off Puerto Rico’s west coast. PBS NewsHour reported 11 dead and 31 rescued.
What Is Holding and What Is Not
The rescue shows US, Puerto Rican and Dominican forces working together at speed. Passing ships, like the Tripiti, remain part of that safety net.
The conditions behind the deaths have not changed. Overloaded boats still leave at night, without life jackets, for many hours of open sea.
The Dominican Navy urged people to avoid clandestine sea voyages because of the grave danger they carry. Background on the country is in Dominican Republic Explained 2026: The Country, Its Economy, Its Politics and What to Watch.
What Is Not Yet Known
The final toll is not yet known, and the search was continuing as of 28 September. The number missing depends on how many were aboard, which survivors put at 50 to 60.
The passengers’ nationalities and exact point of departure have not been officially released. It is also unclear what started the fight and whether anyone will face charges.
The next step for the Mona Island shipwreck survivors has not been announced either. El Vocero reported they were to be taken to the federal base in Aguadilla.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Mona Island shipwreck happen?
About 10 miles off Mona Island, an uninhabited reserve in the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The boat capsized at about 11 p.m. on 27 September, the Coast Guard said.
How many people were rescued?
The US Coast Guard reported at least 40 people rescued and two bodies recovered as of 28 September. Survivors estimated that about 60 people had been aboard.
Who were the passengers?
Officials have not released nationalities. One survivor said she had left the Dominican Republic, Metro Puerto Rico reported; the route is used by Dominicans and Haitians.
Sources: US Coast Guard statement of 28 September 2026 as carried by MarineLink and Primera Hora; Diario Libre (EFE); Acento; Telemicro; El Vocero; Metro Puerto Rico; Infobae (EFE), 4 September; N Digital, 8 September; PBS NewsHour, May 2022.
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