Spain rescues 57 on inflatable boat in ocean

Spain’s maritime rescue service yesterday said its crews had saved 57 subSaharan migrants on an inflatable boat as they tried to make the ocean crossing to the Canary Islands, a day after 28 people were reported missing on the same perilous route from Africa when their boat overturned. The 40 men, 14 women and three children were picked up in a two-hour period before dawn. The night before, two of the service’s helicopters saved 13 people from an inflatable boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean about 120 kilometres south of the islands. The survivors said there were 41 people on board the boat when it was hit by a large wave. Last year, 22,316 migrants arrived on European soil via the Canary Islands.