Six-year-old girl found dead after migrant boat capsizes off Trinidad coast

Trinidad and Tobago: The body of a six-year-old girl was found on a rocky section of the Los Iros, Erin shoreline on Thursday, July 23, around 7:22 a.m., by the Hunters Search and Rescue Team, leader Captain Vallence Rambharat noted. The child has been identified as Brithanny Linneth Yanett León Palacios.

He stated that they were told rough seas and a large wave caused a pirogue carrying migrants to capsize shortly after it left the shoreline, during the morning search on Thursday the rescuers later discovered the girl's body about half a kilometre west of the Los Iros Beach lifeguard station, around 7:22 am.

Police said the pirogue, carrying an estimated 30 people overturned off Los Iros Beach during an illegal sea crossing to Venezuela and struck a rock as it approached Los Iros Beach shortly after 1 pm on Wednesday, throwing its occupants into the sea. Investigators said many on board managed to climb back into the vessel, which then sailed away from the area.

Rambharat said members of the migrant community believe at least three people died in the incident, with two adults still unaccounted for.

Police, the Coast Guard, the Air Support Unit and other emergency responders continue search and recovery operations along the coastline as at about 2 p.m., members of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard spotted the body of an adult male floating offshore and brought it to the beach.

Later between 4.15 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., the Air Support Unit carried out drone searches along the Los Iros coastline and reportedly covered an area from approximately two kilometres east of Taparo Point to two kilometres west of Los Iros Beach.

The reports state that, during the aerial search, officers located a partially soaked red suitcase washed ashore. Inside were men's, women's and children's clothing, along with a framed photograph containing images of three females that are believed to have belonged to passengers on the vessel.

The search subsequently resumed on Thursday morning when the girl's body during the search with members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT), led by Captain Vallence Rambharat as he noted that his team arrived at Los Iros Beach around 6 am and spoke with members of the Venezuelan migrant community.

The incident adds to a string of deadly maritime tragedies involving migrants attempting the hazardous illegal sea crossing between Trinidad and Venezuela aboard overcrowded vessels.