Senegal: A Fisherman Saves 112 Migrants Abandoned at Sea off the Coast of Dakar

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On Tuesday, September 16, a Senegalese fisherman discovered a drifting canoe just a few kilometers off the coast of Dakar. The boat, which had departed from Gambia with more than a hundred migrants on board, had been abandoned by its captain. The 112 rescued passengers were exhausted, but alive.

Off the coast of Dakar, the courage of a Senegalese fisherman helped prevent a tragedy. On Tuesday, September 16, Moussa Diallo, a fisherman from the capital, spotted a canoe drifting about ten kilometers from the shore. The vessel was carrying more than a hundred migrants headed toward the Canary Islands, but its engine had broken down. According to collected testimonies, the captain had left the boat, abandoning the passengers to their fate.

Alerted by Moussa Diallo, the gendarmerie mobilized the national navy, which quickly intervened. The canoe was escorted to Ouakam beach in Dakar. The 112 passengers were rescued—exhausted but alive. One of them, however, had to be hospitalized.

One of the migrants said they had left Gambia five days earlier, hoping to reach the Spanish archipelago. According to witnesses, several people, including women, tried to flee before being intercepted by the gendarmerie. An investigation is now underway to determine the exact circumstances of this failed crossing.