Four boats in just one day have landed along the Alicante coastline, bringing at least 50 people into Spain, including a pregnant woman. The latest boat to arrive made landfall at Tabarca Island, off the coast of Santa Pola.
As well as Tabarca, the boats landed in Alicante and on two beaches in Torrevieja. In addition to these four boats, there were already six other ‘pateras’ (small motor boats) landed along the Alicante coastline so far this week, three of them in Cabo de las Huertas. All of those on board are believed to be of Algerian nationality.
The first of these most recent boats arrived at Cabo de las Huertas at around five this morning with six people on board, five men and a pregnant woman. The woman, in line with protocol, was transferred to the General Hospital of Alicante for a more in-depth examination, although the Red Cross indicated that she is in good health.
The second boat reached the coast of Torrevieja shortly after five in the morning, with another 16 people on board. Specifically, to the town beach of Los Locos. There, instead of running away to try to hide, the people on board waited for the arrival of the local police who monitored the group until the Guardia Civil arrived to take over. Two of the group claimed to be minors.
Shortly after, another motor boat, with 12 immigrants on board, arrived at Cala Ferris, also in Torrevieja. Two people driving the boat let the men disembark on the beach before returning to sea at full speed. On this boat, there were also two minors.
All of the passengers have been transferred to the marquee facility in the Port of Alicante so that the Red Cross can submit them to a medical examination to determine their state of health and where they will also undergo a PCR test.
The, fourth boat of the day was intercepted in the vicinity of Tabarca with fifteen other people on board, where the vessel appeared to be stranded. The boat was assisted by Maritime Rescue and was towed to port. According to the Red Cross, all of those on board were in good health.