A young migrant died on Friday after falling into the sea while attempting to enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta by paraglider from Morocco. The incident occurred near Ceuta’s northern border and was reported by Spanish authorities.
According to Spain’s EFE news agency, citing Civil Guard sources, officers recovered the body of the young sub-Saharan migrant following the incident. The man was reportedly attempting to reach Ceuta from the Moroccan side of the border.
The incident took place at around 8am local time when Civil Guard officers spotted a person using a paraglider near the mountains around Benzu, close to the Moroccan border. The migrant appeared to be trying to land near the northern part of the Spanish enclave.
Initial information indicated that the migrant lost control of the paraglider during the attempt and fell into the sea. Civil Guard officers immediately travelled to the area after believing that he could still be alive, but the migrant was found to have died.
The deceased migrant’s body was subsequently transferred to the facilities of Spain’s Civil Guard Maritime Service. Authorities have not provided further information about his identity or the circumstances that led him to attempt the dangerous journey by paraglider.
The incident is reportedly the first recorded migrant death in Ceuta involving an attempt to enter the enclave using a paraglider. Ceuta, located on Morocco’s northern coast, is one of Spain’s two North African territories and has long been a focal point for migrants seeking entry into Europe.
The Civil Guard has recorded several isolated attempts by sub-Saharan migrants to reach Ceuta using paragliders, particularly since last year. Authorities have also reported several accidents and linked them to migrants’ limited experience operating the equipment, highlighting the dangers associated with such attempts.
