Dozens Dead After Boat Drifts at Sea for 26 Days

Dozens of people, including a baby, are feared dead after a small fishing boat carrying 128 migrants drifted in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly a month before rescuers finally found survivors off Spain’s Canary Islands.

The vessel reportedly left Gambia almost 26 days earlier with plans to make the dangerous journey to the Canary Islands, but it became lost at sea.

Only 45 people survived the ordeal, according to Spanish news agency Efe.

Rescuers reached the boat early Thursday morning about 74 miles, or 120 kilometers, off Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria.

Survivors told authorities that more than 100 people had originally been aboard when the vessel set out for Spain.

Five bodies were still on board when rescue crews arrived, but rough sea conditions reportedly prevented teams from recovering them at the time.

The survivors were transported to the port of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria.

The boat was initially spotted overnight by an aircraft operated by Spain’s Maritime Rescue service, which then alerted authorities.

Spain’s Civil Guard later said markings on the hull matched those of a vessel known to have departed Gambia the previous month.

With 128 people reportedly beginning the journey and only 45 known to have survived, dozens remain dead or unaccounted for.

The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is considered one of the world’s deadliest migration crossings, with hundreds of people losing their lives on the journey every year.

By June 2026, approximately 1,300 people had already died attempting to reach the Spanish islands, according to the migration monitoring group Caminando Fronteras.

The route from Gambia is particularly dangerous because of its length. Migrants attempting the crossing can travel roughly 1,242 miles, or 2,000 kilometers, across open ocean before reaching the Canary Islands.

Boats also frequently leave from other parts of West and North Africa, including Conakry in Guinea, Bissau in Guinea-Bissau, Saint-Louis in Senegal and Morocco.

The latest tragedy comes as Spain continues to face intense pressure over rising migration into the European Union.

Migrants also frequently attempt to reach Ceuta, a Spanish territory located on the northern coast of Africa.

Earlier this summer, thousands of migrants reportedly swam toward Ceuta’s heavily guarded shoreline, overwhelming local authorities and leading to temporary camps being established on the city’s streets.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has faced criticism over his government’s response to the situation after around 72,000 people reportedly arrived in Ceuta, many of whom were later returned to Morocco.

Thousands of protesters also took to the streets in Madrid over the government’s handling of the surge.

Opposition leaders have accused Sánchez’s government of abandoning residents of Ceuta, while the government has accused right-wing political groups of exploiting the migration crisis for political gain.

Spanish authorities continue to investigate the latest boat disaster as officials work to determine exactly what happened during the vessel’s 26 days at sea.