Maritime Rescue Service save 65 immigrants from Canary Islands as boat starts to sink

280 migrants arrive in the Canary Islands.

A record-high 280 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands.

Maritime Rescue Service save 65 immigrants 65 kilometres off Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands just as the boat starts to sink.

A maritime rescue boat and the fishing vessel Ave María II have saved the lives of 65 immigrants that were spotted sinking in their inflatable 65 kilometres off the coast of Fuerteventura in Spain’s Canary Islands.

Service teams found the boat was tightly packed with 49 men, 12 women and four children- seven of those rescued had already fallen into the water.

The rescue has been described as ‘very distressing’ by the people that intervened because they know that that the people were saved “at the last minute.”

The rescue call was received this morning, Sunday, August 22, about 35 nautical miles southeast of Morro Jable, by the Lanzarote registered tuna vessel Ave María II, who notified Salvamento Marítimo.

That ship was instructed to just stay with the refugee boat without attempting to bring its occupants on deck unless strictly necessary.

The captain aboard the Ave María II reported that six people had fallen into the water when they tried to approach the boat.

The Ave María II managed to pick up the six castaways and lost sight of the pneumatic as fast currents dragged it away out of sight.

It was the Helmer 204 rescue helicopter, which was already on its way, that found it shortly after, half-deflated at the stern, taking in water and with one of its occupants clinging to a fuel drum to avoid sinking.

Around 8:00 a.m., the Salvamar Mízar, who saved all the people who were in it, including the one floating with a jerrycan.

The emergency services have no evidence to date that there have been fatalities, but sources from the Caminando Fronteras collective have indicated that one of the occupants of the inflatable telephoned his family when he arrived at the port and said that one of his companions was missing.


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Ron Howells

Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.

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