According to El Buen Día, about 30 people paid thousands of Dominican pesos each to travel by boat to Puerto Rico. Taking a yola to Puerto Rico has been a long-standing form of irregular migration among some Dominicans. People have made these dangerous trips for decades while looking for better jobs, more money and better opportunities. Some passengers reportedly paid about RD$75,000 (about US$1,263), while others paid RD$100,000 (about US$1,684) or as much as RD$250,000 (about US$4,210) each. The group spent about four days at sea, believing they were being taken to Puerto Rico. However, they were reportedly lied to about their destination and instead ended up at Boca Orix in Gaspar Hernández, Dominican Republic. The passengers were reportedly tired, hungry and dehydrated when they reached the beach. Local residents found them and called the Dominican National Police. According to the report, the passengers were shown lights from the Dominican coast and were told they were close to Puerto Rico. They later realized they had not reached Puerto Rico and had instead remained near the Dominican Republic. The boat was reportedly set on fire after the passengers reached land. According to the report, the passengers did not provide authorities with information about the people who organized the trip because they reportedly did not know their names or where they came from.