A man attempting to reach Spain from Morocco using only a rubber ring and flippers was rescued by a family on a yacht off the Costa del Sol. The family were sailing to the Balearic islands on 16 July when they spotted the man 13 nautical miles south of Benalmádena.
According to the Diario Sur newspaper, the family initially thought the object in the water was a bird, but binoculars revealed it was a person. Video shared by the Spanish Royal Assembly of Yacht Captains (RAECY) shows the exhausted man swimming towards the yacht as a rope is thrown to him.
After bringing him aboard, the family provided water, clothes, and soup. The man, wearing a wetsuit, was described as barely speaking. The family headed to Estepona but were met at sea by a maritime rescue vessel, which took him to Málaga for handover to police and the Red Cross.
Migration correspondent María Martín of El País noted that dozens of migrants attempt such crossings with basic equipment, though the Alborán Sea route is less common. Guardia Civil sources said such incidents are regular depending on the season. The International Organisation for Migration reports 572 deaths in 2023 and 151 so far in 2024 while trying to reach Spain from north Africa.
