The elderly Cuban Ramona survived the floods caused by Hurricane Oscar in the municipality of San Antonio del Sur, Guantanamo, clinging to a window. In a meeting with the Guantanamo visual artist Daniel Ross Diéguez, who has been supporting the victims, Ramona recounted the anguish she experienced during those critical hours.
In a video posted on YouTube, the woman explained that she was lying down when, around four in the morning, water started to flood her home. Her first instinct was to try to save her belongings, but she didn’t have enough time to do so.
"The water swept away the television and everything. Then I went to open the door... and the door was gone. So I grabbed onto a tree in front of me and little by little I managed to reach the shutter," he recounted to Ross Diéguez.
Ramona explained that as the water level rose, she held onto the upper panels of the window "until the water reached that point."
Another resident of the house, an 80-year-old man, climbed onto a chair and held onto a cabinet. "At six in the morning, he said, 'I hear people talking, I'm drowning,'" she recalled about the desperation of the moment as they awaited rescue.
The elderly woman recounts that they were finally saved by two young men who “dove in headfirst” with a rope. "We are alive thanks to them. I have no way to thank them," she said, visibly moved.
Recently, Ross Diéguez revealed the identities of these heroes: Henry and Freidi, who not only rescued Ramona but also helped others affected by the cyclone.
Hurricane Oscar struck several municipalities in Guantánamo between October 20 and 21, causing intense flooding and destruction in various areas, including San Antonio del Sur.
The intensity of the weather phenomenon overflowed rivers and devastated homes, leaving many people trapped in their houses with no chance to evacuate in time. So far, the government has confirmed eight fatalities due to the weather event.
The heavy rains and hurricane-force winds caused water levels to rise rapidly, flooding streets and homes and severely impacting local infrastructure.
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