Rescue of Three Individuals Stranded for 33 Days on Uninhabited Island in the Bahamas

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued three Cuban citizens from an uninhabited island in the Bahamas, where they reportedly spent 33 days, according to the agency.

“On Tuesday, the Coast Guard rescued three Cuban citizens who, according to available information, had been on Anguilla Cay in the Bahamian Islands for 33 days,” reads a statement posted on the U.S. Coast Guard's 7th District website.

One of the service's flight crews spotted individuals waving a makeshift flag during a “routine patrol.” Rescuers dropped food, water, and a radio to establish communication with the stranded individuals. Another helicopter that arrived at the scene transported the Cubans to a medical center near Key West, Florida.

Service spokesperson Justin Doherty reported that the two men and one woman from Cuba ended up on the uninhabited island after their boat capsized. He expressed astonishment that they were in “such good condition,” WPLG TV reported. They likely survived by eating coconuts, Doherty noted.