Sad story of trying to flee DR

This is just too terrible for words. What an awful, awful experience these survivors have had. To be that desparate, knowing the risks.............

El canal de la muerte

I have been following this story since these desperate people went missing on July 29 and it never dawned on me to post it on the board so Thank You.

In my opinion it is very sad example (once again) of people who are desperate enough to flee from their home country in search of a better life with no guarantee that they would even reach their destination in this case Puerto Rico. El canal de la Mona as it called, the stretch of water that they try to cross to get to PR is shark- infested and no contest for the "yolas" that these Dominicans use to try to get to PR in search of a new life. This situation in my mind is parallel to Cubans who have been running for more than forty years since the Revolution began and needless to say thousands of them have died trying to touch US soil. In my opinion this a reflection of a government and governments that have failed miserably thus leaving some with no hope or option but to run and eventually lose their life as a result. These are truly desperate times for Dominicans and no one should have endure such suffering. Unfortunately more will risk their life for as long as the Dominican economy etc. does not improve...to certain degree.

NY1 said:

NAGUA, Dominican Republic - A migrant lost at sea for nearly two weeks without food and water while trying to reach Puerto Rico said Wednesday more than 40 people died during the trip, and at least one woman who refused to give breast milk to passengers was thrown overboard into shark-infested waters.

A doctor also said the survivors told him some passengers resorted to cannibalism.

Many of the more than 75 people crammed into a 40-foot wooden boat started acting irrationally when provisions for the one-day trip ran out after three days, said Faustina Santana. She was one of 33 migrants found alive Tuesday near this small fishing village, not far from where the boat departed.

"A lot of people just jumped off," a sobbing Santana, 27, said from her hospital room. "They were going crazy."

The wary father of another passenger then entered the hospital room, showed Santana a picture of his son and asked if he was among those who jumped. She told him she did not know.

Survivors said at least 45 people died during the journey and two died Tuesday on the way to hospitals. Many of the migrants are being treated for dehydration, and many remain unconscious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56636-2004Aug11.html

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