Three African migrants who were balancing on a ship's rudder were rescued by the Spanish coast guard Monday after an 11-day voyage, officials said.
The coast guard tweeted Monday that it rescued the migrants from the rudder of the Alithini II, a ship that traveled from Nigeria to the Canary Islands.
They can be seen sitting on the ship’s rudder with their backs bent, apparently because of a lack of space, in a picture shared by the agency.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the migrants are three men of sub-Saharan descent.
The migrants were taken to the port and treated by health services.
The Alithini II, an oil and chemical tanker, arrived in the Canary Islands on Monday after an 11-day journey from Lagos, Nigeria, according to Marinetraffic.com.
The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off northwestern Africa, "are a popular gateway for African migrants attempting to reach Europe." Spanish data showed that migration to the archipelago increased by 51% the first five months of 2022 compared to last year, Reuters reported.
