Cuban Rafters Rescued from Rough Seas

HAVANA TIMES, Dec. 9 — A group of 18 people trying to leave the island were rescued yesterday by Cuban security forces, reported an official from the Ministry of Interior in the Granma newspaper.

The assistance was provided off the coast of the Santa Cruz del Norte municipality, east of Havana, where a corpse was also discovered. The person had jumped into the sea prior to the landing of the Cuban coast guard craft and died in their effort to reach shore. The other participants in the attempt to leave the island were sent to local hospitals.

According to the report, those involved had left for the US in late November, but their improvised boat capsized due to the force of the waves. Four other members of the group died as the result of injuries sustained in that accident.