At least five dead, dozens missing after migrant boat found drifting near Spain's Canary Islands
A migrant boat drifting near the Canary Islands resulted in at least five deaths, with dozens more feared dead after a long journey from West Africa. Survivors reported severe dehydration and illness after being stranded at sea for nearly a month.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis and extreme dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Atlantic.
At least five people died and dozens more were feared dead after a boat carrying West African migrants ran into trouble in the Atlantic Ocean. Forty-four people were brought to safety in the Canary Islands.
Spain's Maritime Rescue Service said on Thursday (September 3, 2026) that one of its planes had spotted a “precarious” boat drifting some 120 km (74 miles) south of the island of Gran Canaria on Wednesday afternoon (September 2, 2026).
Three survivors were immediately evacuated by helicopter to a hospital on the island. The remaining 41 migrants were brought to safety by boat and disembarked early Thursday (September 3, 2206) in the port of Arguineguín, where they were cared for by the Red Cross.
All survivors were men, some underage, and came from Mali or Senegal, said José Antonio Rodríguez Verona, a spokesperson for the Red Cross in the Canaries.
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