Four women and three girls tragically lost their lives in a devastating incident involving a small boat carrying migrants that capsized while approaching one of Spain’s Canary Islands this past Wednesday, as confirmed by Spanish emergency services.
Upon locating the vessel approximately 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) from the shore, Spain’s maritime rescue service recounted how the boat overturned during the process of evacuating minors upon reaching a dock on the island of El Hierro.
Tragedy struck as National Police officers initiated a rescue operation for migrants aboard a capsized cayuco upon its arrival at the port of La Restinga in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain, on May 28, 2025. The distressing incident resulted in the loss of seven lives, including three minors, from the 180 individuals on board the vessel. An urgent search effort is ongoing for an infant who fell into the sea, while two young individuals are currently in critical condition. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
Local media reports said the small boat appeared to be packed with over 100 people. Spanish rescuers and members of the Red Cross pulled people out of the water.
The Spanish archipelago located off Africa’s western coast has for years been a main route for migrants who risk their lives in dinghies and rubber boats unfit for long journeys in the open sea. Thousands have been known to die on the way to European territory.
Nearly 47,000 people who made the crossing last year reached the archipelago, surpassing previous records for a second time. Most were citizens of Mali, Senegal and Morocco, with many boarding boats to Spain from the coast of Mauritania.
One of the migrants rescued after a cayuco capsized on May 28, 2025, in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain. At least seven women have died, three of them minors, following the capsizing of a cayuco with 180 people on board as it entered the port of La Restinga. In addition, a search is underway for a baby who fell into the sea and two young people are seriously injured. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
The arrivals include thousands of unaccompanied minors.
Some 10,800 people had arrived via the Atlantic to the Canary Islands by mid-May, which was down by 34% compared to the same period in 2024.
