LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA, December 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Two boats arrived yesterday Saturday at the islands of Gran Canaria and El Hierro with 127 migrants on board, including women and children, after having left several days ago from somewhere on the African coast. One of those rescued was hospitalized for severe hypothermia, according to sources from Maritime Rescue, the Red Cross and the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (Cecoes) 1-1-2.
One of the rescues began yesterday afternoon, when 1-1-2 informed the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Las Palmas of a telephone call from a boat that claimed to be about 8 kilometers from Gran Canaria. In a second call to 1-1-2, the occupants of the boat facilitated their position, to which the sea rescuer ‘Macondo’, previously mobilized by the Maritime Rescue Center, headed.
Minutes before 8:00 p.m., Salvamar informed the maritime controllers of Las Palmas that it had located the vessel, which was a cayuco, and that it was proceeding to tow it to the Arguineguín dock, in Mogán, where it disembarked shortly before 10:00 p.m. hours.
Once on land, SUC health personnel and Red Cross volunteers assisted the 64 rescued people, all men of sub-Saharan origin, and two transfers were made to health centers. The Red Cross also provided hygiene kits, clothing, footwear, blankets and food.
A second canoe arrived on its own at the La Restinga dock at around 10:40 p.m. According to the Red Cross, there were 63 people on board (44 men, 17 women and 2 children) who were assisted on the ground and one of them had to be transferred to the Ntra. Sra. de los Reyes Insular Hospital after presenting symptoms of severe hypothermia. .
