Dozens missing, 5 dead after migrant boat is found drifting near Spain’s Canary Islands

At least five lives were lost and dozens more are feared dead after a boat carrying West African migrants encountered difficulties in the Atlantic Ocean, according to Spain's Maritime Rescue Service. The vessel, found drifting approximately 120 km (74 miles) south of Gran Canaria on Wednesday, was in a precarious condition.

Three survivors were promptly evacuated by helicopter to a hospital on Gran Canaria. The remaining 41 migrants were brought to safety by boat and landed in the port of Arguineguín on Thursday, where they were tended to by the Red Cross. All survivors were male, some underage, and originated from Mali or Senegal, reported José Antonio Rodríguez Verona, a spokesperson for the Red Cross in the Canaries.

Survivors were found to be disoriented and dehydrated upon arrival, some collapsing or vomiting. They had reportedly embarked from Gambia and endured days, possibly even a month, adrift at sea. Dehydration and drinking seawater led to illness among the migrants. According to the Red Cross, more than 100 people were initially on board, including women and a baby. As people succumbed to exhaustion during the journey, their bodies were discarded into the ocean.

Spain's Maritime Rescue Service was unable to recover the remains of the five deceased found inside the boat due to strong winds and waves that reached 2.5 meters (8 feet) high. However, Helena Maleno, founder of the migrant rights group Walking Borders, claimed that 83 people had died on this voyage, including three women and a baby. In a post on X, Maleno stated that the boat had departed Gambia 27 days prior.