Spanish Maritime Rescue teams located a vessel carrying migrants adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 65 nautical miles southwest of Gran Canaria's coastal town of Arguineguín. The boat had been at sea for 27 days.
Rescuers found 44 survivors on board, all men from sub-Saharan Africa, along with five deceased individuals. However, due to rough sea conditions, including 20-knot winds and 2.5-meter waves, rescuers were unable to recover the five bodies found on the vessel. The Spanish Maritime Rescue organization stated that it could not verify the original number of occupants as it was outside its remit.
Human rights activist Helena Maleno Garzón, founder of the Spanish charity Caminando Fronteras, reported that an estimated 83 people had lost their lives. The boat is believed to have departed The Gambia in West Africa in early August with 127 people on board.
Three of the 44 survivors were airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The remaining survivors were transported by sea to Gran Canaria, where they disembarked early on Thursday morning.