Four Mexican tourists died after a boat capsized in the sea between Cancun and Isla Mujeres
ABC News
Four Mexican tourists have died after a boat carrying 19 people capsized or swamped between Cancun and Isla Mujeres
MEXICO CITY -- Four Mexican tourists died after a boat carrying 19 people capsized or swamped between Cancún and Isla Mujeres, authorities said Tuesday.
The boat was carrying 17 passengers and a crew of two when the accident occurred late Monday. The captain of the boat survived and was taken into custody, according to the municipal government of Isla Mujeres.
Most of the passengers had to be rescued from the water by personnel from the Mexican Navy, local police and civil defense agencies, and some were taken to hospitals. All were Mexican citizens.
Investigators in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo are looking into whether the boat had been overcrowded, or if rough weather had played a role in the accident. It was not clear whether the passengers were wearing life jackets.
The boat had left Cancún Monday evening to take the tourists to Isla Mujeres, an island 3.5 miles (7 kilometers) offshore from Cancún. The passengers had reportedly gone to a restaurant on the island and were returning to the mainland when the accident occurred.
