Three people die after migrant boat reaches the Canary Islands following seven days at sea

Three people have died after a migrant boat reached El Hierro following a seven-days at sea crossing the Atlantic from The Gambia, a journey of more than 1,000 miles.

Two deaths were initially confirmed after the vessel arrived at La Restinga port in the early hours of yesterday morning, Sunday 18th October. A third person subsequently died in hospital.

Several other passengers needed hospital treatment, with medical evacuations also arranged to Tenerife.

Detected close to shore

The boat was detected by the Guardia Civil’s coastal surveillance radar at around 4.30am, approximately 2.7 kilometres south of the island.

The rescue vessel Salvamar Diphda was sent to meet it and escorted it into port, where medical staff and emergency teams were waiting.

Around 131 people were aboard, including women and children. Survivors told emergency workers they had departed from Gunjur, a fishing community in The Gambia, seven days earlier.

Primary care staff, the Canary Islands Emergency Service and Cruz Roja assessed passengers after disembarkation. Six people were initially taken to El Hierro’s Hospital Insular Nuestra Señora de los Reyes, while another was flown to Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Tenerife.

Further transfers to Tenerife were subsequently arranged.

Second boat brings 177 people

A second boat carrying 177 people was detected around 12.05pm, approximately ten nautical miles south of El Hierro.

Salvamar Nadia escorted that vessel to La Restinga. Its passengers reportedly included 17 women and 11 children, and none required transfer to hospital.

Those aboard said they had spent nine days travelling from M’bour in Senegal.

The two arrivals brought approximately 308 people to El Hierro on Sunday, with the deaths recorded among passengers on the first boat.