130 Hurricane Dorian Evacuees Told To Get Off A Ferry Over Visa Issues; Death Toll Rises In The Bahamas

Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on the Bahamas just about a week ago, and the death toll and devastation continues to worsen as many residents still wait for help to arrive.

At least 45 people have been reported dead, hundreds are still missing, and an estimated 70,000 people are homeless, according to reports. 

To make matters worse, 130 evacuees, who managed to survive the devastation left behind by the category five hurricane, were told to get off a ferry headed from Freeport, Bahamas to Florida. According to WSVN reporter Brian Entin, before boarding, the evacuees were told that it was okay to board with a Bahamian passport and a clean police record. So, the survivors lined up for hours to make their way to the US, but when it was time for the ferry to take off, something changed. The ferry crew later told the reporter that when they sent manifest to US Customs and Border Patrol, they were told that those without visas on the ferry would not be accepted. 

However, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman told WSVN that the ferry operator did not coordinate the proper evacuation efforts with the American Embassy, the Bahamian government, and the US Agency for International Development.

Meanwhile, three CNN reporters who traveled to the island and waited out the storm to conduct thorough news coverage, said the damage caused by the storm looks like the aftermath of what you’d usually see from a war zone. They spoke to many residents; one in particular who said that his wife drowned right before his eyes. 

Howard Armstrong, who was covered in bruises, said his wife Lynn slipped beneath floodwaters in their home as they awaited rescue. “My poor little wife got hypothermia, and she was standing on top of the cabinets until they disintegrated,” he said. “I kept with her, and she just drowned on me.” Armstrong said that he tried to swim to his neighbor’s house, but when he arrived, he found them dead too. 

The death toll in the Bahamas is expected to rise drastically according to officials.