More Than 80 Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Drifts for 27 Days Close to Canary Islands
Spanish rescue teams saved 44 survivors after locating the vessel south-west of Gran Canaria, but accounts from those on board suggest that 83 people, including three women and a baby, died during the crossing. More than 80 people are feared to have died after a migrant boat spent 27 days drifting across the Atlantic before […] The post More Than 80 Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Drifts for 27…
More than 80 people are feared to have died when a migrant boat drifted for 27 days across the Atlantic before being found south-west of the Canary Islands. Spanish rescue teams saved 44 survivors and discovered five bodies on board, but rough seas prevented the recovery of the dead. The boat was spotted on Wednesday evening, 65 nautical miles southwest of Arguineguín, Gran Canaria.
Rescue ship Guardamar Urania reached the vessel at midnight, airlifting three seriously injured survivors to hospital. The remaining 41 were transported to Arguineguín during the early hours of Thursday. Several survivors were so weak they could barely stand after reaching land. Emergency teams treated them for severe dehydration, disorientation, and symptoms caused by drinking seawater.
Six people required hospital treatment, including two with injuries. Five male bodies remained on the boat when rescuers arrived. While authorities confirmed five deaths, survivor testimonies suggest a far higher casualty count, with Caminando Fronteras reporting 83 fatalities, including three women and a baby. The wooden canoe's markings matched a vessel that left The Gambia on August 7 with 127 people.
Some victims were reportedly thrown overboard while others still had enough strength to do so. The five bodies found on board are believed to have been those who died in the final stages of the journey. The survivors were all from West Africa, with nationalities varying in reports. Rescue authorities are still identifying and interviewing the rescued individuals.
The disaster underscores the extreme dangers of the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, with overcrowded, poorly equipped boats often far off established shipping routes. Humanitarian organizations estimate 3,090 people died or disappeared on migration routes from north-west Africa to Spain in 2025, with the Atlantic accounting for the majority of fatalities.
Despite a significant drop in arrivals in 2026, experts warn that fewer crossings do not necessarily mean the route is less deadly. The Canary Islands' president has called for a coordinated national migration policy, stating that the islands cannot accept the ongoing loss of life among migrants attempting to reach Spanish territory.
Written by urgent.news from The Leader's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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