Two men from Cuba set off in a boat without a motor. The U.S. Coast Guard intervened
Two men left Cuba in a four-foot boat that didn’t have a motor.
At about 8 a.m. Saturday — five days after they left — the men were spotted in the waters off Key West when they frantically waved their arms for help.
A Good Samaritan alerted the U.S. Coast Guard. Crew members from the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton found the men, who were in good health.
On Wednesday, the two men were repatriated to Cuba.
“We discourage anyone from taking to the sea in these ill-equipped and unseaworthy vessels,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mario Gil, Coast Guard liaison officer, U.S. Embassy Havana, in a news release. ”These trips are dangerous and people aboard these vessels are putting their lives at risk. Our goals are safety of life at sea and to support national policy of orderly, safe and legal migration.”
According to the Coast Guard, more than 90 Cuban migrants have been repatriated after illegally trying to cross into the U.S. through the Florida straits this fiscal year.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 10:02 PM.
