By Leandra Rolle

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE body of another man was found off Double Breasted Cay yesterday as Royal Bahamas Defence Force officials continue investigating the discovery of 31 Haitian migrants in the Ragged Island chain.

The discovery comes after three men were found washed ashore in the area on Friday – two on Double Breasted Cay and another near Hog Cay.

According to the RBDF, the latest body is believed to be one of the Haitian nationals aboard a vessel which capsized near the area more than a week ago.

“It was retrieved off Double Breasted Cay by RBDF military divers,” officials said in a press statement yesterday.

“At 5.30am (yesterday morning), HMBS Madeira brought the badly decomposed body of a male into the Defence Force Base and handed it over to the coroner’s office for processing... a shipwrecked vessel was also found on the northern tip of the cay.”

“This brings a total of four bodies which have since been retrieved in the Ragged Island chain after a group of 31 Haitian migrants were discovered on the cay and brought to the capital on 21st January.”

In an earlier statement, RBDF said the group reportedly left Haiti on January 10 with varying reports that they capsized around January 13 and survived on the cay for about five days.

Officials added that migrants also told investigators that there were more persons unaccounted for, including another five women, but could not provide an exact total of all who had left Port au Paix, Haiti.

Still, RBDF said investigations will continue as officials search the surrounding areas for further survivors.

In the meantime, members of the public with any information or who have seen any recent sightings are asked to call the RBDF Operations Centre at 242-826-3117.