A boat drifted in the Atlantic for 27 days before rescuers found it off Gran Canaria, and more than 80 people on board did not survive

A boat that spent 27 days adrift in the Atlantic Ocean has been located by Spanish Maritime Rescue teams roughly 65 nautical miles southwest of Arguineguín, a coastal town in Gran Canaria. As reported by the BBC, more than 80 people are feared to have died during the voyage, while 44 survivors were recovered from the vessel on Wednesday.

The boat reportedly departed from The Gambia in West Africa in early August carrying 127 people. Helena Maleno Garzón, founder of the Spanish charity Caminando Fronteras, said 83 people lost their lives during the journey, and among those missing is a baby.

When rescuers reached the vessel, they found five bodies on board but could not recover them due to hazardous sea conditions. Maritime Rescue said the area was hit by 20-knot winds and waves reaching 2.5 metres, which made retrieval of the bodies impossible.

Officials are calling the route one of the deadliest migration crossings in the world

The 44 survivors, all men from sub-Saharan Africa, were brought to Gran Canaria, with three requiring emergency medical care after being airlifted to a hospital. Fernando Clavijo, head of the Canary Islands government, wrote on social media that “the Atlantic continues to be a death trap,” calling the continued loss of life intolerable.

The Atlantic route between West Africa and the Canary Islands is regarded as one of the most dangerous migration paths in the world, with thousands attempting the crossing each year despite strong currents and long distances involved. The news of the crossing broke in the same week as a Texas polling site closure that separately drew political attention.

According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes worldwide in 2025, down from 9,200 recorded in 2024. IOM Director General Amy Pope said the toll reflects “a global failure we cannot accept as normal,” adding that a lack of safe pathways forces migrants to rely on smugglers.

The Mediterranean has already recorded 606 migrant deaths in the first two months of 2026, according to IOM data, with the broader migration crisis continuing to draw attention alongside other ongoing policy debates, including a Treasury Secretary’s socialism remarks that separately gained traction online this week.

The vessel’s 44 survivors reached Gran Canaria in the early hours of Thursday morning as authorities continue efforts to document the dead and missing from the crossing.