148 People Rescued After Two Boats Found North-East of Lanzarote
A major maritime rescue operation took place off Lanzarote on Monday after two boats carrying a total of 148 people were located in the Atlantic, around 60 nautical miles (approximately 110 kilometres) north-east of the island.
What initially appeared to be a rescue involving a single boat quickly became a larger operation when a second vessel was discovered while rescue crews were making their way to the first.
Rescue operation begins off Lanzarote
The operation was coordinated by Salvamento Marítimo, Spain's maritime rescue service, following an alert concerning boats believed to be travelling towards the Canary Islands.
A merchant vessel operating in the area was initially diverted to investigate and subsequently confirmed the presence of people at sea.
Two rescue vessels based in Lanzarote, the Salvamar Al-Nair and Salvamar Ácrux, were then sent towards the area.
The location was well offshore, approximately 60 nautical miles from Lanzarote, meaning the incident occurred in open Atlantic waters rather than close to the island's coastline.
Second boat discovered during the operation
As the rescue operation was underway, one of the Salvamar vessels encountered a second boat.
This wooden vessel was carrying 50 people, including 46 men, two women and two minors.
The people aboard were taken on board the rescue vessel and brought to safety.
Meanwhile, the other rescue vessel continued towards the original inflatable boat.
That vessel was subsequently found to have 98 people aboard, including 12 women and four minors.
The final confirmed total for the two rescues was therefore 148 people.
From an initial estimate of 107 to a confirmed 98
Early reports about the incident referred to approximately 107 people being aboard the inflatable boat. This was based on information received during the initial alert, before the rescue teams had reached the vessel and completed their own count.
Once the people had been brought aboard and the numbers confirmed, the figure for that boat was revised to 98, bringing the total rescued during the operation to 148 rather than the initially reported figure of almost 160.
Both rescue vessels subsequently headed back towards Arrecife, where arrangements were made for the people rescued at sea to be brought ashore and attended to by the relevant emergency and support services.
What does this mean for people in Lanzarote?
The boats were located around 110 kilometres from Lanzarote, in open water well away from the island's beaches, resorts and coastal tourist areas. This was a maritime rescue operation taking place offshore rather than an incident occurring on the island itself.
There is no indication from the reports of any disruption to normal tourist activity, beaches, hotels, restaurants or attractions in Lanzarote as a result of this particular operation.
A reminder of the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands
The incident also highlights the challenging conditions faced by people attempting the Atlantic crossing towards the Canary Islands.
Journeys from the north-west African coast can involve long periods at sea, often in small and unsuitable vessels. The distance between the African mainland and the eastern Canary Islands means that rescue services operating around Lanzarote can sometimes be dealing with emergencies many miles offshore.
For Salvamento Marítimo and other emergency services in Lanzarote, operations such as this involve crews travelling significant distances into the Atlantic to locate, assist and safely transport people in distress.
