Elián González

Cuban refugee, age five when he became a world known figure by being rescued sometimes after dawn from

the ocean on November 25, 1999. The 17-foot aluminum motor boat had left Cardenas, Cuba at 04:30 AM

Local Cuba Time, on Sunday, November 21, 1999, holding 14 people including Elian, his mother (Elisabeth

Broton Rodriguez), and her boyfriend (Lazaro Munero). The refugees had been escaping Cuba. The boat

developed engine trouble, the "motor broke", and despite bailing with nylon bags that were aboard the boat,

the boat hit a storm, capsized and sank on November 23, 1999 in the ocean between Cuba and Florida. There

were only 3 inner tubes aboard. One man and one woman grabbed one of the inner tubes, while Elian and five

others grabbed the second. Elian's "stepfather" lodged him into the center of the inner tube so he could better

hold on and they all ended up in the water. Elian's mother was focused only on her son and his needs, and

she took off her coat and gave it to the cold child. She gave him all the fresh water she had until it was gone.

Elian was very quiet and he never cried. He kept repeating a prayer he knew over and over asking his

guardian angel to stay with him day and night and to protect him. Gradually the inner tube with Elian and his

mother drifted away from that of the two other survivors. During the night, Elian watched as his mother, who

could not swim, slipped off the inner tube and sank into the ocean. He never saw her again. Elian drifted for 50

hours in the Ocean. On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1999, 10:00 AM EST, a few miles off the coast of

Fort Lauderdale, FL, two fishermen came upon the inner tube bobbing the water, carrying a limp five-year-old

boy. He was taken to the hospital in Hollywood, FL. On November 29, 1999, U.S. Immigration Authorities gave

him allowance to stay in the U.S. and set up a bid for permanent residency in one year. Elian's father's

relatives had met the boy on a visit to Cuba so the child already knew his Miami family and Elian was taken to

his dad's relatives in the U.S.

Elian's parents divorced before he was born; his dad had once tried to leave Cuba but failed. He was

remarried with a second family and knew that his ex-wife was taking Elian in her attempt to defect. He has

spoken to his dad on the phone, telling him that he wanted to stay in the U.S.