A baby and a man have died aboard a migrant boat carrying 113 people, which was rescued in the early hours of Friday off the southern coast of El Hierro. This has been confirmed by sources from the Sea Rescue service.
The alert was raised shortly before 11pm on Thursday, when the Canary Islands’ emergency services notified the Tenerife control centre of a boat that had set off from Gambia and was navigating south of the island.
In response, the rescue vessel Salvamar Navia and the Helimer 204 were dispatched, locating the boat at approximately 1am, around 37 miles south of El Hierro.
During the rescue, two bodies were found on board, along with a one-year-old girl in serious condition, who was airlifted to El Hierro for medical attention. The operation concluded around 4am, with the 113 migrants, including eight women and eight minors, safely disembarking at La Restinga port.
