“Alive and well”: Six Haitians rescued after drifting off the coast of Santiago de Cuba

Six Haitian fishermen were rescued this Sunday by Cuban troops after being adrift off the southern coast of the municipality of Guamá in Santiago de Cuba province due to their vessel sustaining damage from bad weather.

The news was shared on Facebook by Aris Arias Batalla, the provincial manager of Operations and Relief for the Cuban Red Cross, who detailed that the operation took place on July 27 at around 2:00 p.m., when Border Guards detected the vessel and activated the protocols for rescuing shipwrecked individuals.

After the maritime control operations, the Haitians were taken ashore, where they were met by a multidisciplinary team consisting of Public Health, MININT, the Red Cross, and local authorities.

The men, all adults, explained that they had gone fishing from the area of Grande-Anse-Irois in Haiti, and that their boat was struck by strong gusts of wind and waves until it became uncontrollable. They had been adrift since Wednesday, July 23.

Once rescued, they were taken to the Pedro Ortiz Cabrera explorers' camp in the Uvero Popular Council, where they received medical attention, food, and psychological support.

On Monday, a delegation from the Red Cross visited the castaways, who expressed their gratitude for the rescue and the treatment they received, even asking to play dominoes among themselves as a form of distraction.

One of the most moving moments was experienced by 42-year-old Odvil Cetout, who was able to contact his brother via WhatsApp and inform him that everyone was safe in Cuban territory.

"With misty eyes and a lump in his throat," the man felt relieved to know that his family already knew they had survived hours of anguish, Arias reported.

The Red Cross Family Contact Restoration protocols were activated by Licenciada Thay Cala, responsible for that area, with the support of Red Cross member Alberto Vázquez, who facilitated communications.

The six Haitians remain in safe custody in Guamá while the next steps are coordinated in compliance with international protocols for the care of individuals in maritime risk situations.

The rescues of Haitian migrants in Cuban waters have been recurrent in recent years, highlighting a pattern of forced arrivals due to extreme conditions at sea or the precariousness of the vessels.

This episode involving the fishermen is joined by other cases such as a group of Haitians who landed in Baracoa after being stranded, or the rescue in Cienfuegos of 141 Haitian migrants who arrived in an improvised boat.

In all cases, the crew members were attended to by the Cuban authorities and placed under protection until contact was established with their family members or diplomatic representatives.

Incidents have also been reported such as that of a group of Haitians abandoned by the captain of their boat upon reaching Cuban shores, which further exacerbated the vulnerability of the shipwrecked individuals.

These events are compounded by the case that occurred in Caibarién, where another boat with Haitian migrants arrived unexpectedly. In previous years, such as in 2018, the rescue of 86 Haitians had been reported near the eastern coast of Cuba.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Rescue of Haitian Fishermen in Cuba