Javea Maritime Rescue The Spanish Navy has rescued 16 sub-Saharan migrants from a small boat 62 miles off the coast of Alicante, as well as the corpse of another migrant who died during the crossing from Algeria to the Alicante coast. The information collected indicates that the 15 individuals who were rescued are in poor health and dehydrated as a result of their approximately 15-day period of adrift.

The Red Cross and the SAMU (National Rescue Service) were responsible for the treatment of the rescued migrants in Alicante, who were located 42 miles from Javea. Two of them have been transferred to a hospital, and two more are anticipated. The majority of the individuals who were rescued, including several minors, are from Somalia, while one individual is from Nigeria.

According to the Red Cross, the health status of those who are still receiving care is severe, with the majority exhibiting acute symptoms of dehydration, incisions, and infections. The volunteers who are assisting the migrants at the port of Alicante stated that they are extremely frail and can scarcely stand.

The individuals who were rescued disclosed that they embarked on a voyage from the coast of Algeria and were subsequently shipwrecked during the crossing. They were adrift in extreme conditions for approximately fifteen days, without food or water, according to their testimony. As a result, they were compelled to consume urine. According to the Red Cross, “One of the individuals consumed toothpaste due to a lack of alternatives and a reluctance to relinquish control of the boat upon its arrival.”

After the boat was observed on the high seas by air, the Salvamar Fénix of Maritime Rescue, which is stationed in the port of Javea, was mobilised at midday. Upon their arrival at the precarious vessel’s location, they discovered that one of the 17 migrants on board had passed away.

The Salvamar Fénix was directed to the port of Alicante, where it anchored at the Temporary Assistance Centre for Foreigners (CATE), and the remaining individuals were transferred aboard.

The National Police have reported the death of one of the immigrants to the duty court in order to facilitate the arrival of the judicial commission at the port to remove the body and subsequently transmit it to the Alicante Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The Red Cross has also mobilised its response team, and the CICU has dispatched the SAMU (National Emergency Medical Service) in response to the fragile health of the rescued individuals.

Nuca, the sea turtle that was rescued in February of last year after becoming ensnared in the port of Torrevieja (Alicante), returned to the sea yesterday, Thursday May 8th, after finishing her recovery process at the Oceanogràfic de Valèncià’s ARCA del Mar.

According to a council statement, the mayor, Eduardo Dolón; the councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Antonio Vidal; the municipal biologist, Juan Antonio Pujol; the president of the Real Club Náutico Torrevieja (RCNT), Carlos Carmona; and the veterinary team from the Oceanogràfic Foundation participated in the release from a boat in the waters off Torrevieja.

The municipal biologist and the RCNT were commended by Dolón for their efforts in recovering Nuca, as well as the Oceanogràfic team, for enabling the turtle to return to the waters from which she was rescued. He anticipates that she will soon return to the Torrevieja coast to deposit her eggs on one of its beaches.

A delicate rescue and a complete recovery

Earlier this year, the turtle, which has been named Nuca, was discovered swimming within the port of Torrevieja. Subsequently, they ensnared it and found it consuming the remnants of fishing activity.

The severity of its condition was confirmed by the capture of the animal, which was conducted by specialised divers from the Oceanogràfic Foundation with the assistance of the municipal biologist and the Real Club Náutico Torrevieja. A previous injury had amputated one of its fins, and a hook had lodged in its oesophagus.

After his transfer, the Oceanogràfic veterinary team used an endoscopy to remove the hook and started treatment to ensure his recovery. The positive development of Nuca in the past few months served as confirmation that he was capable of returning to the sea.

Veterinarians implanted a satellite transmitter into him prior to his immersion in the water, which will enable them to track his movements in real time. The objective is to gather data on his movements following rehabilitation and analyse his behaviour to enhance the protection strategies for this species.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is supporting this conservation initiative within the framework of the PRTR, which is funded by the European Union-NextGeneration EU.

While bathing in the sea atLos Narejos, a municipality of Los Alcázares, an 80-year-old woman passed away on Thursday.

At 1:33 p.m., the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Region of Murcia received a call informing them that a lifeguard had initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation manoeuvres after several individuals rescued an incapacitated bather from the water.

A patrol from the Civil Protection of Los Alcázares has arrived at the location of the Civil Guard and a Mobile Emergency Unit, which is staffed by health personnel from the Emergency and Health Emergency Management 061. Despite their efforts, they were unable to save the victim.