The US Coast Guard said it rescued 13 people out of 22 who were tossed into the ocean after their ship capsized near the Florida Keys due to Tropical Storm Elsa.
The Coast Guard is still searching for the other nine victims.
The boat reportedly left from Cuba. The first two survivors were rescued by a nearby cargo ship, which prompted the rescue effort from the US Coast Guard.
Two helicopters and an airplane were called in to assist with the search.
Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall on Wednesday morning in Taylor County, Florida.
According to The National Hurricane Centre, the storm had sustained winds of 65 miles per hour and was moving north at 14 miles per hour.
All watches and warning associated with the storm in Central Florida were lifted late Wednesday morning.
The storm has spun off some tornado warnings in northern Florida and will dump heavy rain on that part of the state as it continues north along the East Coast.
The state’s Governor Ron DeSantis answered questions about the storm during a press conference. “Clearly, this could have been worse,” he said.
He also cautioned people to be careful when cleaning up debris, as many hurricane deaths actually come as a result of injuries like electrocutions after the storm passes through.
