GRAN CANARIA, Spain (AP) – Spanish rescuers reach a boat carrying more than 30 migrants and bring them safely to the Canary Islands, but not in time to rescue one child who is believed to have died at sea.
Rescuers said the small boat was discovered late Friday about 160 kilometers south of the island of Gran Canaria. On board were 11 men, 20 women and three children in very bad conditions.
The survivors said a 9-year-old boy died during the trip and they threw his body overboard.
About 23,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands in 2020, compared to about 3,000 in 2019, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry. More than 500 died in the attempt.
It is understood that people taking the boats are fleeing poverty, violence or other circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, in African countries and elsewhere.