NEW YORK (CMC):

Police in Freeport, Bahamas, have formally charged three people in connection with the death of a Jamaican and two Haitians that resulted from a speedboat capsizing in Bahamian waters last weekend.

The police said on Friday the suspects, who were not identified in the report, were seen early last week in a Freeport residence two days after the 24-foot red-and-white speedboat was spotted near Memory Rock, northwest of Grand Bahama Island.

Release names

Police did not release the names of the Jamaican and Haitians but autopsies performed on the remains of the two men and one women, who authorities believe were being transported as part of a human-smuggling operation, indicated the three had drowned.

Sharks consumed a fourth body while Bahamian officials were on the scene, the statement said.

"Due to the large number of sharks seen in the area and blood in the water, it is believed that more persons were aboard the ill-fated vessel when it overturned, but were consumed by the sharks before officials arrived on the scene," it said.

Bahamian authorities said they are trying to sort out how the fishing boat broke up and capsized, and what happened to the skipper of a sailboat en route to the Netherlands from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Both incidents occurred near Memory Rock during a storm Saturday night that saw 45mph winds and 12-foot seas.

United States Coast Guard Tuesday called off its search for Peer Steenburg, who they said fell overboard while sailing the 36-foot Holo Ki Ki to the Netherlands. The boat suffered hull damage.

Fishing boat

While looking for the Holo Ki Ki's captain last Sunday, US Coast Guard officials said the aircraft spotted an overturned fishing boat near Memory Rock.

Jonathan Rose, captain of the 115-foot dive boat Gulfstream Eagle, said he was on the scene and offered to help.

Rose, 26, said he jumped into the water and approached the boat. He said what he thought were life jackets tangled in fishing line turned out to be two bodies. He said at least one had been attacked by sharks, and that two 12-foot tiger sharks were still circling.

Rose said one crew mate, who dove into the water with a spear, warded off the sharks while he swam beneath the stricken boat and discovered two more bodies.

"It was a pretty horrible sight," he said. "It's just not something you can get out of your brain."

The bodies of two men and a woman were recovered, that of a fourth man was not.