At least 80 people, including a baby, have been found dead on a boat that had been adrift for 26 days off Spain's Canary Islands. ^[1] Maritime Rescue authorities said on 2026-09-03 that five migrants were found dead aboard a boat rescued off Spain's Canary Islands. ^[2] Only 45 survivors and five bodies were found on board, according to EFE. ^[3] Spain's news agency EFE Noticias reported that the victims were discovered in a small vessel off the islands, which lie off the coast of northwest Africa. ^[4] The Migration's Missing Migrant's Project reported that lives lost on the western Africa to Canary Islands route rose by 480 percent between 2019 and 2025, increasing from 202 to 1,172. ^[5] Helena Maleno, founder of Walking Borders, said on social media that survivors reported 83 people, including three women and a baby, had died during the crossing. ^[6] Maritime Rescue confirmed that five bodies were aboard the vessel when rescuers reached it, but the bodies could not be recovered due to adverse weather conditions. ^[7] Three survivors were in serious condition and were airlifted to a hospital, while another 41 disembarked at the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria in the early hours of Thursday. ^[8]