Durban - Three Nigerian stowaways, who clung to a ship’s rudder for over 10 days, have asked for asylum in Spain.
According to CBS News, the trio were found on the Alithini II oil tanker’s rudder in the Canary Islands, nearly two weeks after the vessel sailed from Nigeria. They were treated for hypothermia and dehydration and were rushed to hospital for urgent care.
“This afternoon, the Salvamar Nunki rescued three stowaways located on the rudder blade of the ship Althini II, anchored in the docks of the port of Las Palmas and coming from Nigeria. They have been transferred to the port and treated by health services,” tweeted Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo.
La Salvamar Nunki ha rescatado esta tarde a tres polizones localizados en la pala del timón del buque Althini II, fondeado en entrediques del puerto de Las Palmas y procedente de Nigeria. Han sido trasladados al puerto y atendidos por servicios sanitarios. pic.twitter.com/1Ei1FieAV3
— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) November 28, 2022
Reuters reported that two of the three had been returned to the vessel for deportation on Tuesday but on Wednesday a local spokesperson for the Spanish government said all three had asked for asylum.
In 2021, a Nigerian teenage boy survived two weeks on a ship’s rudder.
In January, AFP reported the discovery of a stowaway hidden in the nose wheel of a cargo plane arriving from South Africa. The unidentified man is believed to have slipped on board the plane before it left Johannesburg, Royal Dutch Military Police spokesperson Joanne Helmonds said.
“The man was found alive in the nose wheel section of the plane and was taken to hospital in a stable condition,” she told AFP.
IOL