Florida

Mayor of Central Florida City Plans to Visit Cuba, Return Home on Makeshift Raft

The mayor of a central Florida city is planning to visit Cuba and return home on a makeshift raft so he can "better understand what Cuban migrants go through" when crossing the Florida Straits.

DeBary Mayor Clint Johnson tells the Daytona Beach News-Journal he plans to visit Cuba in mid-April. He says he understands the risks of crossing the Straits on a raft, adding he loves "living outside the box.''

Johnson says he'll go to Havana with his wife, bringing along bolts and oar locks. He plans to obtain other pieces for his raft in Cuba.

The 30-year-old says he hopes to reach Key West in about two days.

He says he qualified for a license to travel to Cuba under professional research or journalism reasons. He'll blog about his trip.

The U.S. Department of State's website warns that Cuban waters "are extremely dangerous and difficult to navigate, even for experienced mariners.

"The potential for running aground is very high," the website states. "Search-and-rescue capability in Cuba is limited and running aground will often lead to the complete destruction and loss of the vessel."

Along with a general increase in migrant traffic through the Caribbean toward Florida over the past couple of years, the Coast Guard has recorded a significant spike in the number of Cubans attempting the risky sea voyage since December 2014.

In January alone, U.S. authorities said they had encountered 435 Cuban migrants, compared with 355 in January 2015 and 240 in the previous January.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Coast Guard officials said Johnson's trip would immediately trigger a search-and-rescue response.

Johnson says he's willing to work with authorities to assure his safety without endangering Coast Guard crews.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us