Thread: Stranded on deserted island, they lived on coconuts for 33 days, Coast Guard says

Two men and a woman were rescued from a deserted island on Tuesday after surviving on coconuts, conch and rats for 33 days, the U.S. Coast Guard said.


The Coast Guard spotted people waving makeshift flags on Monday as it was on a routine air patrol of the waters around Anguilla Cay, in a chain of islands between the Lower Keys and Cuba.

“We were alerted to them by the flags that they actually had in addition to a large cross that they put out there for themselves,” Aircraft Commander Mike Allert told WPLG-Ch. 10.


The Coast Guard picked up the case as a rescue mission and returned to drop water, food and a radio to them on Monday. The rescue was delayed 24 hours due to bad weather, Allert said.

A helicopter crew picked them up Tuesday and flew them to the Lower Keys Medical Center. None of them appeared seriously hurt.
Allert told ABC News that the group appeared dehydrated, fatigued, and “in dire straits due to a lack of fresh water on the island.”

The Coast Guard said the trio was from Cuba. They told the helicopter crew their boat capsized in rough waters nearly five weeks earlier, and they were able to swim to the deserted island.

“This was a very complex operation involving asset and crews from different units,” said Sean Connett, command duty officer at Coast Guard Seventh District. “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.”


It was not immediately clear if they were migrants trying to make it to the U.S. or another country, or if they were fishermen lost at sea, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Murray.

Murray said it was remarkable that the three people survived. “I cannot recall a time that we saved people who were stranded for over a month on an island,” he said. “That is a new one for me.”


Stranded trio lives on coconuts on deserted Bahamian island - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Originally Posted by misskit

The Coast Guard spotted people waving makeshift flags on Monday as it was on a routine air patrol of the waters around Anguilla Cay, in a chain of islands between the Lower Keys and Cuba.

Anyone got a google map of the island they were on?

I took a look earlier, and a few came up, but none in the vicinity listed.

Originally Posted by Edmond

Anyone got a google map of the island they were on?

I took a look earlier, and a few came up, but none in the vicinity listed.

Type "anguilla cays" into Google Maps.

There is an string of islands between the Lower Keys and Cuba.

Well fuck me, exactly where they said they were.