53 migrants rescued from a drifting boat near Lanzarote
In the early hours of this morning, Sunday, maritime rescue saved 53 migrants from a drifting dinghy found adrift off the coast of Lanzarote.
The inflatable boat, carrying people of North African origin, including one woman, was spotted about 111 kilometres (60 nautical miles) from Arrecife, according to reports from Salvamento Marítimo and the Canary Islands’ emergency services (112).
The alarm was raised shortly after midnight when the fishing vessel Santuario Barquereño notified the rescue centre in Las Palmas after sighting the craft nearby. Crew members later confirmed the dinghy was out of fuel and drifting with around 50 people on board.
Rescue ship Guardamar Polimnia was dispatched and reached the location given just after 4:00am, transferring all passengers safely on board and taking them to Arrecife port, where they began disembarking around 7:30am.
On arrival, the group was met by emergency services, including staff from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC), primary healthcare teams, and the Red Cross. Medical checks confirmed that all of the migrants were in good health.
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