This week, a fishing boat rescued thirteen Algerian migrants after their vessel capsized at sea. They were brought to the port of Alicante and endured intense heat on the quay, spending the night exposed outdoors. The group consisted of ten men, one woman, a seven-year-old girl, and a baby. They received care for sunburn and jellyfish stings and were reported to be in a fragile but stable condition. A second rescue occurred early Thursday when another boat was found with fifteen people, located roughly fifty miles off the coast of Alicante.
The alert came from a fishing boat that found a sunken vessel this afternoon. The rescued migrants reported that their boat had overturned the previous day at around 17:30, and they had waited at sea for assistance ever since. All were wearing life jackets, which helped prevent a far greater tragedy. The rescue operation involved the Salvamar Leo, a marine rescue ship, amid some initial confusion about whether all passengers had been retrieved from the water.
Red Cross information indicates that two migrants were rescued at sea by a floating marine rescue helicopter and were evacuated to Alicante-Elche airport for medical aid. The remaining eleven were towed to Alicante by Salvamar Leo, where emergency medical teams were ready to provide support. Survivors appeared exhausted, with one infant and a seven-year-old girl reported to be in serious condition. Several members of the group could barely stand, having spent the night at sea and endured intense sun exposure on a hot day. Red Cross volunteers assisted them as they were brought ashore and assessed for care.
An Red Cross volunteer noted that the survivors attributed their flotation to the life vests worn during the voyage. For the infant, reports indicate a makeshift lifeboat was created by cutting a gasoline can to form a protective seat, while the group used their collective hands and vests to shield the child. The team expressed cautious optimism about progressing with the next steps of medical evaluation and stabilization.
second boat of the day
Early in the morning, a second vessel was located fifty miles offshore near Alicante, and fifteen people were rescued. The craft was spotted at about 6:30 a.m. by a fishing vessel and comprised fourteen men and one pregnant woman, all reportedly Algerian nationals. The woman, who was 38 weeks pregnant, was in relatively good health, according to Red Cross assessments. The Salvamar Leo (Sasemar) marine rescue ship transported them to the Port of Alicante, with a Red Cross response unit activated to assist on arrival. The group reached the port around ten o’clock in the morning.
Two boats from Thursday were added to the day’s operations, joining those rescued the previous day along with thirteen other Algerian migrants. The vessels had been sailing about five miles off Sierra Helada near Benidorm when sighted. In the interim period, between Saturday and Sunday, two more boats carrying a total of twenty-eight people reached the coast in the province. Among them were three women and five children, including two newborns. Civil Guard officers then transported the occupants of both boats to Alicante for Red Cross care and further medical attention.