September 20, 2024 – 5:10 PM – World
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Spain’s coast guard on Tuesday rescued four men, including two Moroccans, after they had been drifting at sea for four days north of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands.
The men, who were suffering from dehydration, were rescued after an emergency call was made because their inflatable boat was taking on water. Authorities said the boat ran into difficulty about 84 kilometres (52 miles) north of Tenerife. The crew, made up of a Briton, a Frenchman and two Moroccans, were dehydrated. Authorities said the boat began taking on water, prompting its passengers to make a distress call via their Iridium satellite phone.
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The Panama-flagged cargo ship Green Power was the first to respond to the distress call, in collaboration with the Spanish Coast Guard. A Helimar 201 helicopter was then deployed to rescue the four men. They were safely lifted aboard the ship and taken to a hospital in Tenerife for treatment.
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At this time, the exact circumstances of their sea voyage and the reasons for the failure of their boat remain unclear. According to a statement from the Spanish Coast Guard, the four men reported drifting for four days before being rescued. The Civil Guard has seized their boat for further investigation.
