Three People Rescued From Uninhabited Island After Being Stranded for 33 Days

Three Cuban nationals have been rescued from a small Bahamian island after being stranded there for more than a month.

The U.S. Coast Guard said they came to the assistance of two men and a woman who were spotted on the uninhabited island of Anguilla Cay on Tuesday.

The trio are said to have survived on the island for 33 days by eating rats and coconuts, reported WPLG.

The Coast Guard tweeted a video of an air crew dropping off food, water and a radio to the three before embarking on a full rescue.

"USCG is assisting 3 people who have reportedly been stranded on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas, for 33 days," wrote USCG Southeast on Twitter.

The Coast Guard later confirmed that the two men and a woman had been rescued from Anguilla Cay and taken to Lower Keys Medical Center with no reported injuries.

USCG Southeast also tweeted pictures of what the trio were using to try to send SOS signals.

"We were alerted to them by the flags that they actually had, in addition to a large cross that they put out there for themselves," Aircraft Commander Mike Allert, a helicopter pilot, told WPLG.

Lt. Justin Dougherty said the trio's boat had capsized in rough waters and they had had to swim to the nearby island for safety.

"It was incredible, I don't know how they did it. I am amazed that they were in such good shape when we saw them," he said.

Allert said the trio would not have survived if they had not been able to consume coconuts, because there was no other drinkable water on the island.

"Our EMT rescue team found them to be fatigued, dehydrated and showing desperate signs of just being out in the elements for the extended amount of time that they were there," Allert said.

It was not immediately clear if the three were migrants trying to sail across the ocean or fishermen who got lost at sea, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Murray told Florida newspaper The Sun Sentinel.

In a statement, Sean Connett, command duty officer at Coast Guard Seventh District, said: "Thanks to our aircrews diligently conducting routine patrols, we were able to spot people in distress and intervene.

"This was a very complex operation involving asset and crews from different units, but thanks to good communication and coordination between command centers and pilots, we were able to safely get everyone to a medical facility before the situation could worsen."