Maritime rescue
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
The Spanish coastguard has rescued three migrants in the Canary Islands who were hiding on the rudder of an oil tanker. They had spent 11 days at the helm and were suffering from moderate dehydration. The three were taken to the hospital.
The vessel, the Alithini II, departed Lagos in Nigeria on 17 November. Upon arrival at the port of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria yesterday afternoon, the three men were spotted sitting on the tiller with their feet less than a meter from the water. The alarmed Coast Guard got them to safety. They received first aid at the port before being taken to hospitals on the island.
It’s not the first time people at the helm of a ship have tried to set sail for Europe. In October 2020 four stowaways were found after ten days at the helm of an oil tanker, and a month later the Spanish Coast Guard discovered three more in the same situation. Both ships had departed from Lagos.
The number of migrants crossing the Canary Islands has increased in recent years. This is likely due to tight controls over the Mediterranean since 2019.
