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Sunday Morning News

Cuban Survivors of Plane Crash Relish Their Flight to Freedom

Aired September 24, 2000 - 9:47 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The last survivors of Tuesday's crash of a small plane bringing a group of fleeing Cubans to America are out of the hospital. Despite their injuries and the loss of one passenger, they say the ordeal was worth it.

From CNN affiliate WSVN in Miami, reporter Juan Carlos Van Jool (ph) has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUAN CARLOS VAN JOOL, WSVN, MIAMI (voice-over): She's got a cut on her leg so deep it almost reaches the bone. He's got a gash in his head that required eight stitches. But their son is all right, and this family of three is just thankful to be alive.

LILIANA PONZOA, SURVIVOR (through translator): I think this was a test of our convictions that we had to pass in order to reach our dreams of living here in the United States.

VAN JOOL: Liliana Ponzoa and her husband, Rodolfo Fuentes, the last of the crash survivors to be released from the hospital on Friday, talking for the first time about their daring flight for freedom. They left Pinar del Rio in Cuba in an old Russian crop duster like this one with over 800 gallons of fuel, more than enough to reach the U.S.

RODOLFO FUENTES (through translator): Cuban tower wouldn't give us the radio frequencies to the American tower. They let us get lost, so when we reached three hours of flight, we only had about a half hour left of fuel. We started praying that we would see land.

VAN JOOL: Instead, they spotted this freight vessel, the "Cio Stream (ph)," in the middle of the vast water. The pilot, Angel Lemen Iglesias (ph), had only one option, ditch the plane near the ship and hope for the best.

PONZOA (through translator): He said, We have to ditch the plane in the water, brace yourself. So I started taking everyone's shoes off and some of their clothes. In an instant, the plane slammed into the water. We were all tossed around the cabin, and the water started rushing in.

FUENTES (through translator): I lost consciousness for a few seconds when we hit the water. I hit my head on something and started bleeding.

VAN JOOL: The plane sinking in 10 minutes. Miraculously, none of the children were even scratched, but Juthen Puig (ph) died upon impact, and several of the adults were bleeding.

PONZOA (through translator): I am so thankful to the crew of the ship who rescued us, and the Coast Guard who took us to the hospital. I don't know how to repay those people.

VAN JOOL: Sharing intimate family moments, this couple says they will succeed here in the land of freedom. They say their ordeal was worth it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That was from our affiliate WSVN in Miami.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

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