Hopes Fade as Coast Guard Seeks Survivors of Latest Boat Strikes
The New York Times••nation
Key Points:
- The search for survivors of a U.S. military strike on several boats in the eastern Pacific has entered its fourth day, with efforts hampered by rough seas and strong winds.
- The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating a multi-vessel search about 400 nautical miles southwest of Mexico’s border with Guatemala, including deploying an HC-130J reconnaissance aircraft covering over 1,000 nautical miles.
- Despite 65 hours of combined search efforts, conditions with nine-foot seas and 50 mph winds have diminished hopes of finding survivors, with such operations typically lasting four to five days before being called off.
- The strike on Tuesday marks the fourth instance of initial survivors among 35 military strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September
