MIAMI, United States (CMC) — The United States Coast Guard says it has collaborated with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) in rescuing 88 Haitian migrants off Little Inagua, Bahamas.

On Monday, the US Coast Guard said its Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, deployed to Great Inagua, located the Haitian migrants on the island Friday and received a request to assist by the Bahamian government.

“The helicopter crew embarked 15 migrants for medical concerns and transported them to Matthew Town for further medical care,” the Coast Guard said.

According to Clarence Dean the commander of operations with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, he was “grateful for the continued support of the US Coast Guard and Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) in preventing loss of life at sea and in the continuous fight against illicit trafficking in our waters.

“I anticipate our symbiotic relationship and positive rapport will shine through in future endeavours,” he said.

The US Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Agency and RBDF maintain a 24/7 presence on the island in support of OPBAT – a tri-country agreement between the US, Turks and Caicos and United Kingdom governments to combat drug smuggling to and from the US, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

The US Coast Guard said members assigned to Air Station Clearwater routinely rotate deployments to Andros Island and Great Inagua. Members include maintenance personnel, ground crews, helicopter flight crews and site supervisors.