4 on small sailboat in Hallandale say they arrived from Cuba By Mike Clary Sun Sentinel June 16, 2015, HALLANDALE BEACH
When Dmytro Donets emigrated to the U.S. four years ago, he arrived on a plane, with his parents and fully documented. "We won the green card lottery in Kiev, Ukraine," said Donets. "That was probably the easiest way to get here."
On Tuesday Donets, 22, got an up-close look at a much riskier way to enter the country when at about 1 a.m. he spotted four men, soaking wet, making their way from the beach toward the high-rise condominiums in the 2000 block of S. Ocean Drive (A1A).
Donets, who was up late waiting to meet a friend, said he at first thought the men were drunk because of their unsteady walk. But he soon learned there was another explanation for their wobbly gait.
In English, one of the four identified himself as Michael and told Donets the group left Cuba seven days ago.
He asked Donets to call authorities, which he did.
The small wooden boat the men left rocking in the surf was a crude makeshift vessel fitted with a sail and a rudder lashed onto to the stern with rope.
Inside the boat, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found plastic water bottles, Styrofoam plates, a blue cooler and other meager supplies.
"It is a brave way to go," said Donets. "I saw the boat, and there is barely room for four people."
Police took the migrants to Hollywood's Memorial Regional Hospital for medical evaluation.
Frank Miller of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday morning the four had yet to be interviewed. Under current U.S. immigration policy known as "wet-foot, dry foot," if the four are from Cuba they would be allowed to stay in this country because they reached land.
"I hope they are alright," said Donets, who works in his family's businesses, including a clothing store. "It's good when new people are coming to America to work and do all the nice stuff."
As a show of their appreciation, one of the Cubans gave Donets what they called their good luck charm: a dog tag on a chain. The gold-colored tag was blank.
Donets put it around his neck.
They told him he was their first friend in the U.S., Donets said.
"I am happy for them," said Donets. "They are fellow immigrants."
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