Man Rescued After Three Days Stranded on Roof in Flooded Holguín

A Cuban Army helicopter successfully rescued a man on Monday who had been stranded for three days on the roof of his flooded home in Cacocum, Holguín. The flooding resulted from the overflow of the Cauto River, triggered by heavy rains from Hurricane Melissa.

The man, identified as Raciel Rodríguez Pérez, was lifted into the helicopter using a steel cable after being isolated without food in the vast flooded area, as reported by Cubadebate. This aerial operation was part of an emergency response aimed at rescuing 11 individuals trapped in the Altagracia community, one of the hardest-hit areas in eastern Cuba.

Reports indicate that the helicopter hovered in place while rescuers descended using cables to attach harnesses and lift those stranded. Colonel Alfredo Áreas Martínez, the aircraft's commander, coordinated these maneuvers with the assistance of First Colonel Luis de la Cruz and Raciel Castillo Verdecia, a local government delegate.

Rodríguez Pérez was first taken to the town of Maceo, where he reunited with his family. The helicopter then returned to continue evacuating others affected, including Julio César Fonseca and his son Ever, who had also been sheltering on the roof of a local medical clinic for several days.

Photographer Juan Pablo Carreras captured images of the helicopters transporting survivors to safety, in what authorities say prevented a larger tragedy. The increased flow of the Cauto River—Cuba's longest—caused severe flooding in multiple municipalities in Holguín and Granma provinces.

The Salado River, a tributary of the Cauto, overflowed its banks, submerging entire communities and leaving numerous families without communication, food, or essential services. The heavy rains, which began in late October alongside Hurricane Melissa, have worsened the already precarious conditions in the eastern region, where power outages, damage to homes, and significant agricultural losses persist.

Colonel Áreas Martínez, who has logged over 3,000 flight hours, expressed feeling "happy and relieved" following the rescue. "Joy, just like them," he remarked when questioned by a journalist, watching the emotional reunions of the rescued with their families at Maceo's baseball field.

After completing the mission in Holguín, the helicopter set course for Granma province to join ongoing rescue operations in response to the flooding caused by the Cauto River's overflow.