East Wood affair facts for kids
The East Wood affair was an event that happened in early 1993 on a cargo ship called the East Wood. During this event, a large group of people who were trying to enter the United States without permission took control of the ship. However, the ship's crew eventually managed to take it back. This incident involved more than 500 people from China, making it one of the biggest attempts to bring people into the U.S. without proper documents at that time.
Contents
What Happened on the East Wood?
A Call for Help at Sea
On January 27, 1993, a message asking for help was sent from the East Wood cargo ship. The ship had left Hong Kong and was on its way to Taiwan. The message said that someone from the ship's own crew had taken control of the vessel.
The Coast Guard Arrives
About a week later, on February 7, the USCGC Rush arrived. This was a ship from the U.S. Coast Guard. After getting permission from the government of Panama (where the East Wood was registered), armed sailors from the Rush boarded the cargo ship.
By the time they arrived, the crew had already regained control of their ship. The Coast Guard found signs that there had been a struggle. They also discovered 527 people from the Fujian and Guangdong areas of China on board. These people were trying to enter the United States without permission. The only weapons found were small pocket knives and machetes. Two crew members were not found on the ship.
What Happened Next?
The Coast Guard then helped the East Wood travel to the Marshall Islands. The ship had some problems along the way and broke down twice. Finally, it reached Kwajalein. The people who had been on the ship stayed there for about 20 days to rest and get better. After that, they were sent back to China. The ship's original crew members, who were from Indonesia, were flown back to their home country.
