Mystery boat full of supplies washes up in North Carolina. Fate of passengers unknown
A mysterious boat built of Styrofoam blocks washed up in North Carolina and items left aboard indicate it was likely crewed by Cuban refugees.
Photos of the craft began appearing Sunday, July 3, on Facebook, when it was spotted by tourists at Caswell Beach, 35 miles south of Wilmington.
Closer inspection revealed a ragtag engine and battery, containers of fuel, handmade oars and spoiled food. Bags were also found bearing the words “Alimport Cuba,” which is “Cuba’s government import agency,” according to Agri-plus.com.
A boat ride from Cuba to Caswell Beach would cover 855 miles, but the idea seems less far-fetched when noting the Gulf Stream flows past Cuba toward the North Carolina coast.
Beachgoers saw something poignant in the idea it showed up on the July 4th weekend, when the nation celebrates freedom.
“A normal day on the beach became not so normal when this refugee boat washed to shore,” Emily Poole of Oak Island, N.C., wrote on Facebook.
“Hope the passengers made it but really makes you think about how much we take our life for granted in the US. Others want to live here so bad they would risk building this boat to travel 800 miles to freedom.”
She noted the supplies and food — including a goat’s head and fish — were not tied down, proving the boat “did not overturn.”
Fragile boats made of Styrofoam blocks and wood are known to be used by refugees attempting to sail from Cuba to the United States. The craft are notorious for capsizing and being difficult to maneuver, resulting in occupants spending weeks adrift, news outlets have reported.
Jeneal Bunn said she watched the empty boat wash ashore and called it “one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.”
“I just keep imagining the poor souls that were so desperate to have ventured out to cross the ocean is such an inadequate craft,” she wrote July 3 on Facebook.
The boat was “hauled away” later that day through the combined efforts of Caswell Beach police and the U.S. Coast Guard, WECT reported. Its fate was not revealed.
This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Mystery boat full of supplies washes up in North Carolina. Fate of passengers unknown."