LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA, 16th March (EUROPA PRESS) –
From yesterday onwards, the Maritime Rescue team has successfully rescued 188 migrants who were on board four vessels en route to the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, according to reports from sources within the public entity, the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (Cecoes) 1-1-2 and the Red Cross.
The initial two rescue operations occurred yesterday afternoon after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Las Palmas received an alert about two inflatable boats, carrying a total of 113 individuals, approximately 7 miles southeast of Arrecife (Lanzarote).
The Coordination Center promptly dispatched the rescue boat ‘Al Nair’, which successfully rescued the occupants of the first boat, consisting of 57 individuals (52 men and 5 women), around 3:40 p.m. Subsequently, at 4:15 p.m., the salvamar rescued the passengers of the second inflatable, which was carrying around 60 people. Following medical assistance at the Arrecife dock, one person required transfer to the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital.
The third rescue mission commenced at around 11:30 p.m. when the Civil Guard reported a suspicious echo, potentially indicating a boat or small vessel, positioned 5 miles off Puerto del Rosario. The Rescue Center in Las Palmas immediately mobilized the rescue boat ‘Izar’, which located the inflatable around 01:00 hours and carried out the successful rescue operation.
A total of 53 individuals were found on board, with 51 originating from North Africa (41 men, 8 women, and 2 minors) and 2 from Sub-Saharan Africa (1 man and 1 woman). All those rescued were safely transferred to Puerto del Rosario, where they completed their disembarkation around 02:10 hours. No individuals required further transfers to healthcare facilities.
Today, Saturday, at approximately 8:15 a.m., the Civil Guard identified another suspicious echo located 9 miles from Arrecife. The Maritime Rescue team dispatched the ‘Al Nair’ rescue boat, which located the vessel around 09:00 hours and successfully rescued the 22 individuals on board, all of whom were North African and sub-Saharan men.
Following the rescue operation, the swift Maritime Rescue vessel headed towards the port of Arrecife with all individuals on board, after confirming that two other echoes were false alarms. Medical assistance was provided upon arrival, and no further hospital transfers were required.
