Yet another tragedy on the high seas between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico took the lives of at least one person, leaving another 18 people missing, according to US Coast Guard reports. The small craft sank 5km off the tiny island of Desecheo in the Mona Passage, 21km from the coast of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Eleven men and two women are among the known survivors. Both the Dominican Navy and the US Coast Guard are continuing rescue operations in the area. As reported in Hoy, none of the names of those rescued were released to the press. The boat, apparently stolen from the docks of the Iberostar Hotel in Bayahibe, was moving at a high rate of speed in spite of the heavy waves in the area, and the ship arrived very much ahead of schedule. Juan Rijo, the boat?s captain, has been accused of the theft. Authorities in Puerto Rico said that the boat, a 29-foot fishing craft with two engines, fit the description of a vessel reported stolen from the docks at Bayahibe. The boat was first spotted from the air at 8pm Monday and about 35 minutes later the ships Cushing and Venturous reached the site where the boat had capsized and rescued 12 persons. El Caribe reports that the ship Venturous was bringing a shipment of supplies for those affected by last May?s heavy rains in Limon in Santiago de los Caballeros, Juana Mendez in Haiti, San Pedro de Macoris and La Romana. According to Lieutenant Eric Willis, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, Venturous left San Juan headed for the Dominican port of De Diego, and, according to the Law of the Sea, went off course to assist in the search and rescue of those in trouble. Dominican and US authorities say they have intercepted 77 illegal ?yola? crossings in the month of June and that 183 individuals have been charged and jailed in the DR for organizing such voyages.