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Three dead and two survivors rescued from drifting migrant boat off Cartagena coast
Authorities are investigating whether more dead bodies may have been tossed in the sea after the vessel was found adrift for up to 20 days
The dangers of crossing the Mediterranean have once again come into sharp focus after a small migrant boat carrying five men, three of them dead, was discovered adrift off the coast of south-eastern Spain and brought into Cartagena.
According to the Government Delegation, the vessel was spotted on Monday afternoon, April 20, by a French Navy patrol ship around 21 miles southeast of Águilas. The rescue operation was carried out by the Salvamento Marítimo coastguard service, with Murcia’s fast rescue boat ‘Salvamar Draco’ dispatched to transfer the occupants.
On board were five men, only two of whom were still alive. The three deceased were recovered and transported, along with the survivors, to the port of Santa Lucía in Cartagena, arriving at around 6pm.
Once ashore, the corpses were removed under judicial supervision while the two survivors, described by sources as exhausted after their ordeal, were treated at the scene by Cruz Roja, the Spanish Red Cross, before being taken to Santa Lucía Hospital for further medical attention. They are now in the custody of the National Police.
Initial statements from the survivors suggest they may have spent as long as 20 days at sea attempting to reach the Spanish coast from northern Africa. Maritime authorities are working to verify this account, while post-mortem examinations are expected to help determine the exact cause of death.
The investigation now underway is also exploring the possibility that more people may have been on board the boat but had been thrown overboard when they died, although this has not yet been confirmed. If proven, it would point to a far more serious incident involving violence during the crossing.
The case has been handed to the Central Unit for Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Forgery (UCRIF) of the National Police, whose officers are expected to interview the survivors in detail. Investigators aim to establish how many people were originally on board, what happened during the journey and whether any criminal acts were committed.
Police sources note that it would be unusual for a vessel of this type to set off with so few occupants, reinforcing suspicions that others may have been lost at sea.
Tragically, such incidents are not isolated. Each year, dozens of bodies are recovered along Spanish coastlines, including in the Region of Murcia, many of them belonging to migrants who perish while attempting to reach Europe by sea.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 768 migrants died or disappeared in the central Mediterranean route in just January and February of this year, making it the deadliest start to a year ever recorded on that route, which doesn’t include all those who set off from African shores trying to reach Italy, the Canary Islands or other European locations.
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