One Cuban refugee was rescued and three others are presumed dead after the U.S. Coast Guard found the migrant aboard a makeshift raft near Miami.
Crews from the Coast Guard’s station at Miami Beach and local fire rescue services rescued the man “after a good Samaritan came across him in Biscayne Bay Saturday.”
The lone migrant, who was on the makeshift raft, said he and three others had been adrift for 10 days after fleeing Cuba. The man said the other three had all died.
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“We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to take to the seas and navigate the Florida Straits on unsafe vessels,” Lt. Cmdr. Ben Tuxhorn, command center chief for the Miami sector, said in a statement.
The crew brought the man to the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered, where local officials determined he did not need immediate medical attention.
“The South Florida maritime community has some of the best people who assist others while on the water, whether that’s towing a boat or helping out a migrant with food, water, and bringing them aboard if necessary,” Tuxhorn said. “Most importantly, this community knows to call the Coast Guard in these situations, because if you don’t, you may be part of a human smuggling investigation for just doing the right thing.”
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The refugee was transported to the hospital, and authorities notified Customs and Border Protection.
