MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- A group of migrants was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday morning, and three died when some of the migrants reportedly jumped overboard in a last-ditch effort to make it to shore.

From the air, in the water and on the ground, the intense search by multiple agencies for as many as 40 Dominican migrants began at about 8 a.m.

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“They started finding people in the water," said Capt. Jim Fitton of the U.S. Coast Guard. "At first, we found some were deceased. Then we started finding people on the beach.”

Three migrants never made it to shore. Their lifeless bodies were found in the choppy water near Fisher Island. Another three were transported to local hospitals, and 14 others were taken off the battered boat or caught swimming to shore and transferred to the Coast Guard cutter Dolphin. Six migrants were apprehended on shore and are in custody, raising the total of those accounted for to 26.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents continue to search a wooded hammock, looking for more survivors.

"When they were discovered by the Coast Guard off of Fisher Island, people started jumping over into the water, trying to swim to shore," said Lt. Arnold Piedrahida of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The swim was dangerous, with high winds and pounding surf.

Flip Ramos and his crew from a local production company were building sets for an upcoming film shoot on Virginia Key when three of the migrants stumbled out of the mangroves.

"One of the guys was really shaken really bad, and he proceeded to throw up all over the place," Ramos said. "I felt him and he was cold and whatnot, and he fell on the ground and I called 911.”

The rescue effort has been scaled back, but it continues. At this point, Customs and Border Patrol officials believe most onboard were Dominican, but four of the men were Brazilian. It is still not clear from where they came or how long they endured the rough seas.

“It’s a typical island-type freighter -- very old, very rusty -- but it is seaworthy," Fitton said. "It made it this far.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials are interviewing the migrants to determine whether they will be repatriated or not. Police are investigating the three deaths.