Rats, coconuts and conch: That's what 3 Cubans ate to survive 33 days on remote island off Florida, Coast Guard says Cheryl McCloud, Treasure Coast Newspapers 3 stranded on island survive 33 days on rats, conch and coconuts Replay Video UP NEXT Three people stranded for 33 days on an island south of Florida survived by eating rats, coconuts and conch, according to the Coast Guard. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry spotted three people waving a makeshift flag while on routine patrol Tuesday, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Nicole Groll. Two men and one woman, all Cuban nationals, had been stranded on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas, a speck of land about 155 miles southeast of Key West.