3 Cubans were stranded on a Bahamas island for 33 days. The Coast Guard saw their flag
Three people from Cuba were rescued Tuesday from an uninhabited island in the Bahamas after a Coast Guard crew from Opa-locka spotted them waving a makeshift flag during a routine patrol of the area. They were stuck on the island for 33 days.
After spotting them, the Coast Guard crew dropped food, water and a radio to communicate with the stranded trio while they waited for a rescue helicopter to arrive from the Coast Guard’s Clearwater station.
The three people stranded on the island — two men and one woman — were then hoisted into the helicopter and taken to Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West. They had no reported injuries and were treated for dehydration.
The island they were found in is called Anguilla Cay and is between Key West and Cuba. The group told officials their boat had capsized in rough waters and when they saw the island, they swam to it, according to The Associated Press.
The trio said they were on the island for 33 days. They survived by eating coconuts, rats and conch, according to several news outlets. El Nuevo Herald says they also ate snails.
“After their treatment, the subjects were released from medical care and turned over to U.S. Border Patrol custody,” the United States Border Patrol said in an email to the Miami Herald.
All three of the subjects were processed for removal proceedings and turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — Enforcement Removal Operations in Pompano Beach.
It’s still unclear how old the castaways are or what condition they’re in. Also unclear is if they were migrants trying to come to the United States or fishermen.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 11:06 AM.
