As the number of illegal immigrants trying to reach Canarian shores increases, so does the number of people who have lost their lives trying to do so. Last night a cayuco with 19 people on board was intercepted as it arrived in La Gomera, and one of them died during the night, according to a press release from the Emergency Services Coordination Centre of the Canary Islands this morning.
The boat in which they were traveling was spotted in waters near the island, and one of the occupants, who was in very poor health, was airlifted by a Maritime Rescue helicopter and flown straight to Tenerife for immediate treatment.
In addition, according to the Red Cross who were at the port of San Sebastián in La Gomera to meet the boat as it arrived, five others were taken straight to a local hospital for treatment of various pathologies and illnesses sustained during their crossing from western Africa.
FUERTEVENTURA:
Yesterday morning Maritime Rescue intercepted a boat with 57 people on board, 38 men, 17 women, and two children, in the south of Fuerteventura at dawn.
According to emergency services, they were taken to the port at the island's capital, Puerto del Rosario, and after receiving medical attention on the dock, one of them was transferred to the island's hospital.
