ST. LUCIE INLET, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard said they have suspended the search for five people who were in a capsized boat off the St. Lucie Inlet.
According to reports, the vessel capsized on Friday, and one of the people aboard was able to alert authorities about the situation.
The Coast Guard quickly mobilized to conduct search and rescue operations in the area. Despite the successful rescue of four people, the Coast Guard confirmed that five other people were still unaccounted for.
Coast Guard crews used air and surface assets to cover a wide area in their effort to locate missing persons but suspended the search Monday afternoon.
The vessel was part of a suspected failed smuggling venture, according to the Coast Guard.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
