Tugboat Saves 5 Cubans on Raft

Five Cubans, adrift for five days on a homemade raft of inner tubes, were rescued at sea today by a passing tugboat named Liberty about 40 miles from Key West, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

“They had no food or water on the trip,” said spokeswoman Brenda Toledo. “They were suffering from exposure, but they’re in fairly good condition.” The Liberty picked up the men shortly after 7 a.m. and the group later was put aboard a Coast Guard cutter and taken to Key West, where they were being interviewed by Immigration and Naturalization Service officials.