Cayuco with over 100 migrants reaches Los Cristianos
A wooden migrant boat carrying more than 100 people was escorted to Los Cristianos earlier today, Sunday, after being spotted two nautical miles off the coast of Las Galletas in the south of Tenerife.
The operation to intercept it began at around 10.25am, when the ship Bentayga reported sighting the small boat in the area and confirmed it would remain nearby until rescue units arrived.
Shortly afterwards, another vessel, Mar Canario, informed authorities that it had passed the cayuco and estimated there were more than 100 people on board.
Rescue operation launched
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Tenerife mobilised the rescue boats Alpheratz and Menkalinan, and also placed the vessel Heroínas de Sálvora on standby as a precaution.
It was the Alpheratz that located the cayuco at around 11:00am. The boat was found to be stationary and required assistance to restart its engine before being escorted safely to Puerto de Los Cristianos, arriving at approximately 12.15pm.
Emergency teams were waiting dockside to assess the condition of those on board, in line with standard humanitarian and health protocols.
The arrival marks the latest migrant rescue in waters around the Canary Islands, which continue to serve as a key route for boats departing from West Africa.
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