This weekend 247 people were rescued in small boats crossing the Canary route of migration from Africa. Two makeshift boats, carrying over 150 people between them, arrived in Tenerife. On Saturday afternoon, 108 people were spotted about nine miles off Punta de Rasca and were intercepted by Maritime Rescue who escorted them to the port of Los Cristianos. Eight of them were taken to health centres for various pathologies, according to the report from the emergency services.
This figure was added to yesterday (Sunday) by the fifty or so people, apparently in good health, on board a makeshift boat sighted by the crew of the fishing boat Rosa del Viento, five miles off the coast of Los Abrigos in Granadilla de Abona. The Maritime Rescue boat, Alpheratz, was sent to meet them and located it an hour later and also brought it to the port of Los Cristianos.
Also yesterday, a Maritime Rescue vessel rescued 36 migrants of Maghreb origin, including two women and two children, who were travelling on a raft located 35 miles from Lanzarote. The Calíope rescue boat was responsible for taking them to the port of Arrecife.
But the first vessel rescued by Maritime Rescue this weekend was the one located on Saturday in waters near El Hierro. It carried 53 people, who were taken to the La Restinga pier. There, medical personnel were waiting for them two women needed urgent treatment and were taken to a hospital.
Survivors on this boat reported that they had thrown several corpses into the sea during their journey.
