At least five dead after overturning a cayuco in El Iron with a hundred people on board | Spain
A Cayuco with dozens of people on board has overturned In the port of La Restinga, in El Hierrowhen he was approaching the dock to disembark their occupants, according to maritime rescue sources. The emergency services of the port of La Restinga, in El Hierro, have recovered from the water the bodies of at least four women and a five -year -old girl after overturning the cayuco in which they were traveling when they were a few five meters from the dock, about to put on the side of a rescue boat to land.
At this time, it is unknown if the victims have drowned in the accident or if they had died prior to the crossing, the Government delegation has reported.
During the rescue work already at the dock, the Cayuco has been tilted next to the sea rescue boat. Since the latter, multiple lifeguards have begun and part of the crew has thrown into the water, while migrants tried to climb to the surface.
The 112 is valuing the state of the survivors on the dock and a medicalized helicopter has been activated to attend possible transfers. Both workers’ workers and diving clubs have also participated in rescue work.
The boat had more than a hundred people on board, according to the first estimates, including minors.
This is the first Cayuco that arrives on the island after almost two weeks of break on the Atlantic route and one day after the visit of a group of Eurodiputados who warned of a tense calm in the archipelago and that the migration to El Hierro was going to continue in the coming months.
The tragedy occurs approximately eight months after shipwreck of a Cayuco with at least 84 people. On that occasion, the wreck occurred at night, four miles from the coast. So, as now, the Cayuco overturned when rescue work by maritime rescue were taking place.
Contact with the vessel constitutes the most critical moment of all rescue, professionals often relate. Even as it happened in this case, however, with the boat already at the La Restinga dock. Therefore, whenever you can prefer to escort the boat to the port rather than climb the occupants on board.
