Escaping Cuba On A Windsurfing Board

[ricki]

It is confirmed, the third windsurfer was recovered by the USCG on Friday.

"Cuban lost while windsurfing to Fla. found adrift

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KEY WEST, Fla. -- The third and last Cuban migrant who disappeared while trying to windsurf across the Florida Straits has been found adrift.

Coast Guard officials found the man late Friday afternoon. He was barely able to speak. Coast Guardsman Petty Officer Third Class Alex Davis tells The Key West Citizen (http://bit.ly/1grZjWC ) the man would probably not have made it one more day. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is investigating and will determine whether the men will be taken back to Cuba.

The three migrants left Jibacoa, Cuba, on Tuesday. One made it to Key West more than nine hours later and told authorities that he lost sight of the others about 60 miles south of Key West. A second was found by a boater Thursday.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/2...#storylink=cpy "

[ricki]

The three windsurfers before attempting to cross the Straits of Florida

The article which included this photo indicated they took a year preparing for the journey, doing resistance exercises and strength training in addition to spending several hours exercising without water to help their bodies to adapt.


Henry Vergara Negrin is interviewed about his experience (in Spanish)




http://www.cubaenmiami.com/balseros-...a-de-windsurf/

[ricki]

Alex Morales was interviewed about his historic crossing to freedom on TV yesterday. The video is at:

https://www.telemundo51.com/noticias...459035663.html


and more in this interview from a few years back:
https://boards.co.uk/features/alex-m...indsurfer.html

[flylow]

A few years (ago maybe 3) I met an excuban who said 20-30 years ago he fled Cuba on a windsurfer. I think he was on one tack until his harness broke the rope strap in the middle of the night. He then had to get into the water and replace it with the line from the other side. I think this was reported in the news at that time. He went on to become a pediatrician in Florida. He was interested in learning to kiteboarder.

[ricki]

An amazing story. He even went on to become a doctor in the country, impressive.

Originally Posted by flylow

A few years (ago maybe 3) I met an excuban who said 20-30 years ago he fled Cuba on a windsurfer. I think he was on one tack until his harness broke the rope strap in the middle of the night. He then had to get into the water and replace it with the line from the other side. I think this was reported in the news at that time. He went on to become a pediatrician in Florida. He was interested in learning to kiteboarder.