Following an interagency search and rescue operation as well as assistance from residents with private vessels, a total of eight male Cuban migrants were rescued on Saturday, 30 September, from the water off Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands.

All eight migrants received food as well as medical care and have been processed in accordance with the Government’s Customs and Border Control (CBC) protocols.

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard with the support of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Air Operations Unit, Cayman Islands Fire Service, and Cayman Brac Customs and Border Control continued the search and rescue operation late Saturday and Sunday and have now moved into search and recovery, which is the next phase of operation.

Premier Hon. Wayne Panton has thanked the combined efforts of several agencies of government’s uniformed forces for their work over the past three days. “I am especially grateful to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force, Customs and Border Control, Cayman Islands Fire Service and officers in the Cayman Islands Coast Guard for their rapid and humane multi-agency response to this incident. I am also proud of the courage and selflessness of the people of the Sister Islands, many of whom were voluntary participants in the search and rescue efforts. I know our community will exhibit the same level of diligence and care as we move into the search and recovery operations”, he said.

He further noted, “This Government is aware of its obligation, under international maritime law, to render aid to people in distress at sea without regard for their nationality, status or the circumstances in which they are found.”

Minister for Border Control and Labour Hon. Isaac Rankine said, “I publicly and wholeheartedly thank the Sister Islands Customs and Border Control officers and all public and private first responders for their courage and dedication.”

His statement was made as the Cayman Brac CBC team processed the second group of migrants who arrived within a week.