Spain Rescues 319 Migrants at Sea, 18 More Feared Drowned

A Spanish maritime rescue vessel arrives with a wooden boat in tow at the port of Los Cristianos on the island of Tenerife, after it was found drifting off the coast of the Spanish Canary Islands, on April 28, 2021. Desiree Martin/AFP via Getty Images

MADRID—Emergency services on Spain’s Canary Islands say 319 people, including 59 women and 24 children, were rescued from seven different boats trying to reach the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, while activists say at least 18 migrants have died.

Spanish rescue vessels reached the boats in different locations late Tuesday and early Wednesday, a Maritime Rescue Service spokeswoman told The Associated Press, adding that rescuers didn’t find any bodies on or near the boats.