Caymans Islands: bulker captain rescues 14, but tense standoff ensues
A bold high-seas rescue by the captain and crew of the bulker, Bulk Freedom, descended into a tense stand off between Cuban refugees and Cayman Islands authorities
It’s the law of the sea, if someone is in trouble, you help, but the recent rescue of 14 Cuban refugees by the Pangaea Logistics Solution bulker, Bulk Freedom, became a maritime drama after the refugees refused to disembark in Grand Cayman on 6th April.
The ship received a message from the USCG concerning a missing small craft and was able to locate the drifting skiff 70nm off Grand Cayman on 5th April. The boat was out of fuel and had been drifting for two days in heavy seas.
The 14 people aboard were transferred to the ship, but when the Bulk Freedom docked in Grand Cayman on 6th, all the refugees apart from a Dominican woman and infant refused to disembark.
The impasse was eventually resolved after a brief “tactical intervention” on 8th April. The migrants finally agreed to come ashore and were admitted to a government-run Covid-19 quarantine facility.
Authorities in the Caymans praised the master of the the Bulk Freedom and say they “maintained close contact with the captain of the Bulk Freedom and thanked him and his crew for their support in bringing this situation to a positive closure. Likewise, the welfare and safety of the crew were kept in mind at all times.”
