The CubanAnurgis Pérez Ferrer reported the disappearance at sea of his partnerDavid Castro Castillo and the negligence of the authorities who did not come to rescue him in time.
Anguish and denunciation go hand in hand in the unfortunate event that concernsDavid Castro Castillo who is a young 25-year-old fisherman, who disappeared on a beach in Santiago de Cuba before the desperate gaze of his partner and his community who lived hours of helplessness waiting on the coast.
Last Saturday, December 30, David entered the sea to fish for a while and seek daily sustenance. I was in theEl Francés Beach and around 1:30 pm, despite being in sight, the residents began to get worried when they saw the distance and the strong wind because this suggested to them that the young man was in trouble.
The family and the community did not hesitate to act, alerting the emergency number repeatedly starting at 2:00 pm, about the critical situation of the young man at sea. However, they received a series of unfulfilled promises due to the evident lack of coordination and resources that characterize the Cuban institutional response.
Despite repeated calls and the visibility of David fighting against the waves, the help was not effective. A Border Guard vehicle arrived without a boat or rescue equipment, a Border Guard brigade ship alleged lack of fuel and adverse weather conditions. The promises of air relief turned out to be empty.
The ground search that was expected for the next morning also did not meet expectations, and the approved helicopter, according to authorities, never flew over the area. All of this constitutes a devastating testimony of a rescue system that did not respond to the needs of the people.
Anurgis' complaint is a cry for humanity and professionalism in emergency services. He highlights that there is a contrast with the rapid mobilization that is observed in other less critical contexts, such as drug shipments.
The lack of an adequate response in this rescue has not only left a family in suspense and possibly two children without a father, but also exposes the systemic flaws that Cubans face in life or death situations.
InCyberCuba We are following this case closely in the hope that David will be found. Below we share thecomplaint by Anurgis Pérez after his partner disappeared at sea.
Report of disappearance at sea of Cuban David Castro
For many the year has started with joy and happiness for us with despair. My partner David Castro Castillo, only 25 years old, with whom I am expecting my baby, is missing. He is a young man who has a long way to go.
On Saturday, December 30, around 8:00 am, he entered the sea with a raft and fishing rod on El Francés beach, in Santiago de Cuba. Around 1:30 pm it was possible to see it but it was too far away and we were watching so as not to lose sight of it.
The residents here on the beach commented that it was likely that he was already on the edge, that is, out of bounds and there was too much wind. Seeing that it wasn't coming, we called 106 at 2:00 pm. Called again at 2:48 pm seeing that there was still no response.
At 2:59 we called 107 again and the situation was explained to them. The wind is carrying it away and help is needed. At 3:43 pm we called to find out the answer because time was passing. At that time the authorities explained that a rescue and rescue group was going to leave by land and the Griffin boat by sea.
We went to the sawmill port and they told us that they had no fuel and that they could not risk their boat because of the weather because the winds were blowing strongly.
He kept calling insistently to find out what was happening because no one arrived because he was in front of us, we could still see him. Around 5:00 pm a Border Guard jeep arrives, but they arrive without a boat or rescue group. They respond that they went to advise.
We started talking to them and we asked where the media was because they had been calling since 2:00 pm. They themselves saw that David was still seen in the sea and that is when one of them, a first lieutenant, began to talk to the command post about the location and asked if he was alive.
He responds that yes he was alive, he was about four miles away. Around 6:40 pm the firefighters arrive and one gets uncomfortable because they arrive again without a diver and without a boat. It was already getting dark and no one was doing anything.
At 8:00 pm the happy boat appears that had to leave but it was very far from where it was last seen and it did not search the entire area. At 10:00 pm everyone (the rescuers) left. We are told that the search will begin at 5:00 am.
The next day we called and they told us that the search was going to be done by land, not by sea, because the crew arrived vomiting and the waves were 5 meters.
Searching for wind information on Google we realized that the winds were not as strong as what they said. After speaking with the Lieutenant Colonel, he reported that two boats left and that the means of air transportation was already approved. The helicopter was going to carry out the search as well.
December 31 passed completely and no helicopter flew, it was all a lie. The entire service was delayed. It was 6 hours and if they had arrived early they would have gotten him out of the sea on time.
In Rescue and Rescue they did not proceed in the fastest way. It was painful to see David there and that nothing could be done, because in any other country the coast guard or rescue services act quickly but that was not the case here.
Shame has been lost on this earth. In this country it seems that a human life is not worth it because even the neighbors here said that when it comes to finding drugs, they all show up in a matter of nothing and work quickly.
It is a shame to say that one is Cuban. At least I don't feel anything because here the authorities work very poorly, they don't care about the interests of their people, of their people when they ask for help.
There were many of us who asked for help for David from the first day. Everyone here, even the people who live in El Francés, feel disappointed. They tricked us by saying that they were going to help early and that was not the case. Those who are supposed to protect this town lie to us, deceive us, and have made a lot of our family and friends suffer.
For God's sake, how is it possible for this to happen with a government that says "for all and for the good of all." It's a lie, it's for their own good. They say that Cuba is advancing, because for me we are reaching prehistory. Fidel died and with him everything died. This Government does not respect its people.
We are asking for help, mercy. We still have hope that David is alive. Please share with all your family and friends. We are devastated and still see no response of any kind. You can't imagine what we are suffering.
It cannot be possible that due to the negligence of this country, parents lose a child, that they lose a brother, a friend, that their son who is only 3 years old is left without a father and that the one he is going to have with me will never meet him. I do not agree with that. Nobody deserves to go through this situation.
Imagine what he must have felt, what he feels, because we have faith that he is alive. The only thing we ask and have been praying for days is that he returns home safely to his loved ones. It is an injustice to know that there is a person asking for help and it is not given to them.
What do you think?
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