Cuban raft survivor recounts harrowing journey and tragic loss of his comrades

Yuriesky Romero Hernandezborn November 25, 1990 in Pinar del Río, spent more than a month on a makeshift raft at sea, subsisting on raw fish and his own urine before finally reaching the coast Tamaulipas, Mexicosouth of Texas. Tragically, three of the six companions who embarked on this dangerous journey with him did not survive. Two drowned and a third starved to death.

When they reached Mexico, local authorities immediately granted residency permits to the shipwreck survivors. Within a week they reached the United States and were hailed as heroes for their incredible 34-day ordeal at the mercy of the ocean, without food or water and unnoticed by passing ships.

Yuriesky, who now lives in Kentucky, is asking other Cubans considering such a dangerous escape, especially those leaving children behind, to reconsider. The risk of death or deportation far outweighs the slim chance of success.

The unfortunate journey

The harrowing adventure began on April 5, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. This was Yuriesky’s second attempt to leave the country illegally; the first had failed. While he was waiting in a dilapidated wooden house, he spotted state security officers through the gaps in the walls who had become aware of their planned escape.

As planned, Yuriesky and six other men boarded a sailing ship and set off from the southern coast of Pinar del Río, near La Coloma. They sought help from local fishermen and signaled for help from a passing empty boat bound for the United States, hoping to be towed because of the calm seas and slow sailing. They carried provisions for only four or five days.

An unforgiving sea

Instead, as they attempted to reach Mexico, the Gulf currents blew them off course. Their seven cell phone GPS units each showed different locations, and they lost a rudder during the night, forcing them to wait until daybreak to install a replacement. Their plight has been ignored by passing cruise ships and cargo ships, all of which have turned a blind eye to their plight.

More than two weeks after their ordeal, they spotted a fishing buoy and two men jumped in, hoping to trigger a rescue. A drone appeared to investigate, but no help arrived. The strong currents prevented the raft from reaching the buoy and the men, too weak to swim back, drowned in five-meter-high waves.

Despair and loss

The survivors, now numbering four, subsisted on raw fish when they could catch it and protected themselves from the sun by clinging to the raft in the water. They drank their own urine and held their noses because they ran out of drinking water.

One man refused to eat raw fish or drink urine, opting instead to consume sea water and a tube of toothpaste. His condition worsened and he died just days before they reached land. Fearing rapid decomposition in the sun, they reluctantly abandoned his body to the sea and watched it float away.

Yuriesky, in an interview with CiberCuba, recalls the emotional toll of realizing how close he came to taking his son on the trip, a thought that brought him to tears. The child would not have survived the ordeal.

Redemption and new beginnings

In her final days of desperation, a survivor discovered land. The presence of birds during the day that disappeared at night indicated their proximity to the shore. They landed on a small island and were rescued by fishermen, which received widespread media attention in Mexico. Welcomed by authorities, they entered the United States a week later.

After settling in Kentucky, Yuriesky realizes his second chance at life and urges others to abandon similar plans. The deadly risks of the journey far outweigh the hope for a new life. Not everyone is so lucky; not everyone survives.