HAVANA, Sept 2, 2008 (AFP) - Five Cuban fishermen whose small boat capsized as Hurricane Gustav neared survived for 27 hours clinging to a buoy before they were rescued, they told state media Tuesday. "Twice, they had to give me mouth-to-mouth, massages and hit me on the back. I thought I was going to die, I had hypoglycemia -- I got really sick, but we always said we would survive, all five of us together," Osniel Canovas told the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma. Their 12 by four meter craft had been ordered back into port in Surgidero de Batabano, on Cuba's southwest coast, with Gustav drawing near. But the sea was already rough and they lost control of their boat and had to jump out with only life preservers. They swam to a buoy but only three could climb on top of it at one time, so they rotated to give the other two a rest. Cuban authorities started a search for them but had to call it off during the storm. Then they were finally found after Gustav passed near Cienega de Zapata, southern Matanzas province, more than 120 kilometers (74 miles) east of their port.
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