Jonathan Frómeta Navarro has emerged as one of the individuals deserving of special recognition following the floods that marked a turning point in San Antonio del Sur, due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Oscar on that Guantanamo municipality.
Although he prefers to avoid the spotlight, his neighbors affirm that during the floods, "he was the man to thank" for his help and bravery in the midst of the emergency.
Of sturdy build, Frómeta is dedicated to physical culture and the practice of spearfishing, in addition to working as a barber.
Their involvement in the rescue operations began in the early hours of the morning on October 21, when heavy rains caused severe flooding in San Antonio, endangering the lives of hundreds of people.
"This cyclone was more destructive here than Flora; the water was trapped and reached the height of the foundations of many houses. We had no idea what was coming. It was terrifying. Starting at two in the morning, the water rose to knee level, and all we could do was elevate our belongings to a meter off the ground, but by around four, the major flooding occurred. It was like a full river,” Frómeta recounted in statements to Venceremos, clearly affected by the experience.
Amid the emergency, Frómeta led a group of young people to evacuate several neighbors to the second floor of a nearby house owned by his aunt.
"With a group of young people, I took some folks from the neighborhood to my aunt's house on the second floor, and from there I dove headfirst to look for the children. It was a tough early morning," he commented.
At dawn, when the Search and Rescue teams arrived in the area, he continued to assist them in evacuating elderly individuals and other residents in vulnerable situations.
Another tense moment occurred when Jonathan swam to rescue his daughter, who had been on a plate with a nylon bag over her head since the flooding began. He also went to help at a school for children on the beach, which required him to traverse the entire Reparto Cultura, where he lives, and La Plaza, sometimes swimming and other times walking when the terrain's inclines allowed for it.
"We had to break into the houses of people who were trapped, nearly drowning, and couldn't get out. I couldn't reach everyone. It was hard," he stated.
Frómeta helped save about 50 people, and he single-handedly managed the rescue of around 25 of them—nine or ten children and about 15 adults.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to reach all those affected.
When asked what drove him to risk his life to save others, he replied:
"I was driven by humanism and fatherhood, the need to help children who could not go out because their parents were absent, women with children who were alone, the elderly, and even people who were trying to save their animals, to whom we were not able to reach all."
Jonathan recounts that the water took time to recede, leaving behind a desolate landscape of mud and debris.
He lost everything inside his house.
"I thank God for being alive, even though it's difficult and I don't know if it's better to have to live through this," he concludes.
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