A corpse and a survivor rescued after a zodiac shipwrecked northeast of Lanzarote

A Maritime Rescue helicopter rescued this Wednesday afternoon a corpse and a survivor from a zodiac that sank in Moroccan waters, and a plane from the state company has confirmed that there are between 20 and 25 people clinging to the remains of the boat.

According to sources from Maritime Rescue to EFE, the remains of the boat - which would have departed this Tuesday from Tan Tan with 55 people on board - are about 74 nautical miles (about 137 kilometers) northeast of Arrecife, and in waters under Moroccan jurisdiction.

The helicopter took the survivor and the corpse to the capital of Lanzarote of the state company, which after refueling returns to the scene of the shipwreck to continue its tasks, which are joined by another aircraft from Tenerife and the Urania coast guard.

A Sasemar plane has also traveled to the point where the capsized boat is located, north of Tan Tan and in Moroccan waters, and its crew has confirmed that there are about 20 or 25 people clinging to the remains of the boat, which is partially afloat, proceeding to launch life rafts, the sources consulted indicated.

Morocco has also informed Salvamento that it has a ship in the area searching for and rescuing the castaways, although it has not detailed at this time whether it has managed to assist any occupant of this zodiac.

According to the sources consulted, up to four calls have been made from the boat to 1-1-2 from a satellite telephone in which the shipwreck of the boat was reported, the last of them from a person who claimed to be clinging to a jerrycan, which is why it was decided to request permission from Morocco for the Helimer 202 to fly over the area.

That helicopter was the one that rescued a survivor and a corpse in the area of the shipwreck, which it took to Arrecife, and at this time it is operating again from that point north of Tan Tan, to which the Sasemar plane, another helicopter based in Tenerife, and the Urania coast guard have been added.