Transport says that the rescue of the boat corresponded to Morocco and that they asked for help in the final moments

MADRID, 23 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The rescue of the shipwrecked boat this Wednesday on the Canary Islands route corresponded to Morocco due to the area in which it was found, as sources from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda on which Maritime Rescue depends, have explained to Europa Press. that the neighboring country only required help from Spain in the final moments of the operation.

According to Transport, the boat was within the area of ​​responsibility for search and rescue, SAR zone, overlapping Spain and Morocco, which is consistent with the term used by the Las Palmas Coordination Center in the audios of the operation made public. this Thursday on Cadena Ser.

In these audios, the center asks the search pilot to approach the coordinates in which the boat is supposedly located but asks him to stay at the "limit" of the "overlapping area." The pilot, for his part, assures that it is a Spanish SAR area.

Transport sources point out that the boat was at a distance of about 88 miles from the Canary coast and about 40 from the Sahara coast and explains that, in situations like these, Maritime Rescue always makes its resources available in any emergency, but the coordination corresponds to the State that assumes it, which according to point out, in this case Morocco.

In fact, the sources of the department headed by Raquel Sánchez point out that at no time did the Moroccan authorities require assistance or mobilization of the media from Salvamento Marítimo, except in the final moments when the mobilization of a helicopter was requested.

From Transport they point out that the Maritime Rescue means are always available in any emergency and in this case there was no exception. In addition, it highlights that the agency attends to emergencies in accordance with national and international standards that regulate the search and rescue of people in danger at sea.

In their opinion, this unfortunate case is a disgrace, but they point out that Maritime Rescue shows very high efficiency figures in rescuing people and that the work of the people on the Maritime Rescue boats and control centers has allowed people to be saved. almost 20,000 people in 2022 and more than 7,500 so far in 2023.