In brief
Spanish coast guards rescued a newborn baby boy, born on a migrant dinghy travelling from Africa to the Canary Islands, on Epiphany. The mother and child were airlifted to safety, highlighting the dangers faced by migrants on this perilous journey.
In a remarkable turn of events, a baby boy was born on a crowded migrant dinghy making the treacherous journey from Africa to the Canary Islands this week, as confirmed by Spanish coast guards. The newborn, discovered alongside his mother and numerous other migrants, is now safe following a rescue operation that took place shortly after the baby’s birth on January 6th, a day known in Spain for the celebration of Epiphany.The rescue began when the dinghy was located off the coast of Lanzarote. According to the captain of the rescue vessel, they were aware of a pregnant woman onboard but were taken aback to find a "totally naked baby who was born just moments before" their arrival. Domingo Trujillo noted that when the rescuers reached the boat, the mother was lying on the raft's floor while the child was being held by a fellow migrant.After the rescue, both the mother and infant were quickly transported via helicopter to a hospital on Lanzarote, where they were reported to have no complications. Álvaro Serrano Pérez, the helicopter commander, expressed the sentiment that the event was exceedingly special, stating, "It being Three Kings Day, this was the best gift we could have received."The journey from Africa to the Canary Islands is infamously perilous, with over 46,800 undocumented migrants undertakng the route in the past year alone, according to recent reports from the Spanish government. The Epiphany, or "El Dia de los Reyes," is a culturally significant celebration in Spain, where children leave out shoes in the hopes that the Three Kings will fill them with gifts, making the birth of this child even more poignant amidst the ongoing migrant crisis.
