22 illegal immigrants rescued off coast of Gran Canaria

A Guardia Civil patrol has rescued south of Gran Canaria a boat, with 22 immigrants on board, off the South coast of Gran Canaria after the boat suffered an engine failure.

The patera type boat was located at 01.05 on Sunday morning (9th March 2014) about 7km south of Maspalomas, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana in the south of the island of Gran Canaria. On board there were a total of 22 people, 11 sub-Saharian and 11 from Maghreb of which there were two women and a reported 6 children. After being rescued by the Guardia Civils vessel ‘Rio Tambre’, the immigrants were transferred to the Arguineguin harbour where they were attended to by Red Cross staff with some signs of mild hypothermia.

The Guardia Civil is responsible for the custody of the detained immigrants and they will be transferred to the Center for Foreigners in Barranco Seco in Gran Canarias capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria…

* Archive image of the Guardia Civil patrol ‘Rio Tambre’.