Coast Guard rescues three people stranded on island for 33 days

The Coast Guard rescued three people this week who were stranded on an island in the Bahamas for more than a month.

The individuals, two men and one woman who are all Cuban nationals, were spotted on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas, on Monday. An aircrew discovered them after the trio waved a makeshift flag, according to a Wednesday statement from the Coast Guard.

The aircrew dropped food, water and a radio to communicate with the group, and a helicopter crew later deployed to the island.

The trio was rescued on Tuesday and taken to Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, Fla. The rescue mission was delayed by a day due to weather, according to reports.

The group told a Coast Guard crew that they survived by eating the meat of conchs and rats, WPLG in Miami reported.

Aircraft commander Mike Allert told the outlet that the crew first noticed the group’s flags and “a large cross that they put out there for themselves.”

Lt. Justin Dougherty told the outlet that the group’s boat capsized in rough waters, and they swam to the island. He said the group also may have survived by eating coconuts.

The Coast Guard on Tuesday tweeted video of the aircrew dropping supplies to the stranded group. 

#BreakingNews @USCG is assisting 3 people who have reportedly been stranded on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas for 33 days. An Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew has dropped a radio, food and water. More to follow.#D7 #Ready #Relevant #Responsive #searchandrescue #USCG pic.twitter.com/D263ptTarz

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 9, 2021

Sean Connett, command duty officer at Coast Guard Seventh District, said in the Wednesday statement, “This was a very complex operation involving asset and crews from different units, but thanks to good communication and coordination between command centers and pilots, we were able to safely get everyone to a medical facility before the situation could worsen.”

The Cuban nationals’ identities were not immediately confirmed, according to multiple reports.