More than 100 people had to be rescued after an overloaded boat carrying Haitian migrants hit a sandbar while trying to make landfall near the Florida Keys Monday, officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said they initially rescued 22 people after the vessel was reported off Rodriguez Key around 5 a.m. EST Monday.
Coast Guard crews battled 25 mph winds and 6-10-foot seas to continue to remove people from the boat, which then hit a sandbar near Whale Harbor in Islamorada.
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Some people ended up in the water, but crews had rescued more than 100 people before the vessel hit the sandbar, officials said.
Photos released by the Coast Guard showed crew members caring for children who'd been rescued.
Several other agencies responded to the scene, including the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Border Patrol.
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Border Patrol officials said they rescued 18 additional Haitian migrants who were trapped in dangerous ocean currents while attempting to swim to shore.
