Cubans rescued, headed to Mobile

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and crew of the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy rescued 22 Cuban nationals, and the captain of a sport fishing boat, in the waters some 130 nautical miles off the Yucatan Peninsula on the morning of April 14. The CG received a call at 1:15 a.m. from a Cuban national stating his brother (Cuban-Mexican) and 22 others were adrift aboard a disabled sports fisher boat after losing power and adrift for three days. The 22 Cubans were adrift from their own wooden boat. The Cuban-Mexican national’s picked the 22 up, but his boat’s engines reportedly malfunctioned and all 23 were adrift. The CG alerted the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy and directed the launch of a CG Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew that located the vessel at 8:40 a.m. Carnival Fantasy arrived and took the individuals on board. There were two minor medical issues among the 23. They were treated by the cruise ship’s medical staff. The 23 will be transferred to Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard Investigative Services in Mobile, Ala., on April 16. (Source: Coast Guard 04/14/19)