Despite Storm Charles migrant boats have reached the Spanish Canary Island of El Hierro On Wednesday, 11 November, a boat carrying 63 people made its own way into the port of La Restinga. Another boat carrying 59 people had to be assisted by the Spanish Maritime Rescue Service This was reported by the newspaper El Español. The arrival of the first boat was also reported by the Canarian outlet Sol del Sur.
On Tuesday evening, the Maritime Rescue Service had already brought 126 people to safety from a boat near the port. The news agency EFE watched the operation from the quay. According to its account, rough seas made it difficult for the rescue boat Navia to approach: both boats rose and fell sharply in the waves. At least two young children were among those rescued, the agency reported.
The figures relate to different arrivals. They do not provide a total for Wednesday. For Tuesday, EFE reported that a total of five boats carrying 404 people had been rescued off El Hierro. According to the agency, the count of 126 people was initially still provisional.
El Español reported that people from the two boats that arrived on Wednesday received assistance from medical and police personnel at the port. The newspaper gave no further details in its report about injuries or individual treatments.
The Canarian government had issued warnings for El Hierro because of the approaching storm. According to the local outlet El Hierro Hoy, warnings for wind and dangerous coastal conditions were in force on the island from Tuesday evening. Preliminary alerts for rain and other hazards were also announced.
The Spanish weather service had warned on Tuesday of heavy rain, strong gusts and rough seas. The agency expected weather conditions to worsen because of Charles on Canary Islands and later on mainland Spain as well. A weather forecast alone, however, does not establish the actual wind speed or wave height during any particular rescue operation.
The latest arrivals show that boats reached the island even in difficult conditions. The reports do not say how many other people were at sea at the time.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).