Hundreds of immigrants rescued near Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Hundreds of immigrants rescued near Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Two babies were rescued too.

Hundreds of immigrants of sub-Saharan and North African origin headed to the Canary Islands on Wednesday night.

According to sources from emergency services, over 250 people were rescued or managed to reach land on their own on Wednesday night, November 10. People were rescued from six boats.

The emergency services confirmed that the first boat to be rescued was discovered a few kilometres off the coast of Lanzarote. A patrol boat from the Guardia Civil had spotted the boat. The occupants were rescued and transported to the port of Arrecife.

At practically the same time as the first rescue, the Salvamar Al Nair boat swooped in to rescue a group of people who had got into trouble on another boat. They had used a satellite phone to call for help when they were 93 kilometres east of Arrecife. Two babies and several women were aboard the boat along with over 50 other people. They were swiftly rescued.

According to the Lanzarote Emergency Consortium as the Salvamar Al Nair boat headed back to land they discovered another boat in need of rescuing.

Sources from the Government Delegation of Fuerteventura said that a skiff with multiple people aboard had managed to make it to the coast of Morro Jable.

The Guardamar Talía and the Salvamar Mízar boats also rescued around 100 people according to the emergency services in Fuerteventura.

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