GRAN CANARIA, Spain (AP) – Spanish rescuers arrived on a boat carrying more than 30 migrants and took them safely to the Canary Islands, but not in time to save a child who reportedly died at sea .
Rescuers said the small boat was finally discovered Friday about 160 kilometers south of the island of Gran Canaria. On board were 11 men, 20 women and three children traveling in very poor condition.
Survivors said a nine-year-old boy had died during the trip and had his body thrown overboard.
Some 23,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands in 2020, compared to 3,000 in 2019, according to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. 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.