Coast Guard continues search for missing people after boat overturns off Florida, leaving 2 dead

The Coast Guard said Friday it will continue searching for 10 people thought to be missing after a boat overturned a day earlier about 16 miles southwest of Key West, Florida.

The Coast Guard rescued eight people on Thursday around 1 p.m., the military branch said in a tweet. Two bodies were recovered.

When crews arrived on the scene, there was no boat to be found, but those rescued said they were on a boat that flipped, said Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Jose Hernandez.

The Coast Guard said Friday it had searched more than 6,500 square miles — about the size of Hawaii.

Crew on the water have conducted 10 searches totaling 40 hours while aircraft have searched for more than 29 hours in 14 search attempts.

The search will continue into Saturday for the 10 people reported missing, the Coast Guard said.

The search includes two cutters, one 45-foot response boat, four helicopters, a C-130 Hercules aircraft, and other assets, including one US Customs and Border Protection aircraft.