On Monday, a flight crew on patrol found the three, two Cuban men and a woman, by chance on a small island between the Florida Keys and Cuba. All three waved a homemade flag to attract attention, the BBC reported Depending on those involved.
The crew of the patrol plane was unable to conduct an immediate rescue operation and the weather conditions forced the three residents of the island to sleep on the island for another night. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard threw food, water and radio so they could communicate with each other.
Coast Guard Riley Beecher told the BBC: “Unfortunately, we didn’t have people on our team who spoke Spanish fluently, but with the best of my Spanish I discovered they were from Cuba and in need of medical care.” “They can explain that they were held on the island for 33 days,” she added.
The three told the Coast Guard that they swam to the island a few weeks ago when their boat began capsizing for reasons that remain unclear. Rescuers were astonished that they could have lasted so long. A member of the rescue team said, “At first glance, it doesn’t seem like the island has much, but there are some trees and some trees so they can hide a little from the weather.”
A helicopter finally managed to push the three Cubans off the island, called Anguilla Cay, on Tuesday. The two men and the woman were immediately taken to a hospital in Florida. They seemed to be dehydrated and tired, but are now healthy under the circumstances. “They were very clear and clear about what was happening,” a Coast Guard person told NBC. “It was incredible. I don’t know how they did that. I’m amazed they were in such good shape when we found them.”
Coast Guard officer Sean Connett described the rescue mission as a “complex operation” in a statement. “Our air crew carrying out routine patrols diligently allowed us to see those in need and intervene in it. This was a very complex process that involved resources and crews from different units, but good communication and coordination between command centers and pilots allowed us to safely transport everyone to a medical facility before the situation deteriorated.”
The Coast Guard said that had the trio not been found, they would most likely have died from the lack of fresh water. They were handed over to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service.
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