{"id":661977,"date":"2026-08-29T10:03:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T10:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/661977\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T10:03:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T10:03:25","slug":"it-was-day-13-or-14-when-people-started-dying-more-than-200-set-sail-for-europe-only-36-survived-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/661977\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It was day 13 or 14 when people started dying\u2019: More than 200 set sail for Europe. Only 36 survived \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">They had come from near and far: women, men and children, from The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/africa\/\">Gambia<\/a> and countries further afield, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/senegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/senegal\/\">Senegal<\/a>, Guinea and Mali. Many were the breadwinners for their families. They left without saying goodbye, worried any leak could put their plan in jeopardy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">They had dreams in mind: Babylon, some called it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/europe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/europe\/\">Europe<\/a>, a continent where crushing poverty seemed possible to escape. They had seen the helpful impact of remittances from those who made it, how it could transform their extended family\u2019s circumstances, giving them a comfortable existence. How the compounds in a village without lights at night were those without someone abroad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Their boat set sail in the last week of June with the goal of reaching the Canary Islands: the southernmost of which, El Hierro, is about 1,600km from The Gambia. On board were more than 200 people, according to those who joined the trip. Within weeks, only 36 would still be alive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">This is an account of what happened to that boat, told by survivors, the family members of victims, locals to the area the boat left from, and informed by conversations with authorities, activists, aid workers and a man who had planned to be on board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">It is a story of death and survival on what is likely now the deadliest migration route in the world, an account of desperation amid an ever-growing global inequality crisis, and an examination of the extremes that humans are capable of while searching for a better life.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Abdoulie Jallow, also known as Ablei, died on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7DZTDZBCHNBR7HD2BMGADDTCY4.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Abdoulie Jallow, also known as Ablei, died on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Abdoulie Jallow, aged in his 40s, had four children, the youngest of whom was 18 months old. He had told his wife of 11 years, Awa Kanteh, he wanted to leave The Gambia. Poverty was grating, and the children\u2019s school expenses cost a lot. \u201c\u2018Let me go, things are too hard \u2026 If I go you can be free, I can take good care of you\u2019,\u201d she recalls him saying. \u201cBut any time he spoke about going I told him not to go; the boats aren\u2019t safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Her husband disappeared one day, then called days later on an unfamiliar number. Kanteh remembers him enquiring about the children, asking her to pray and to forgive him, and promising to call back. When she tried that number again, the man who answered told her Jallow had travelled. Then, Jallow\u2019s brother began hearing rumours of a boat that was missing.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Awa Kanteh is mourning her husband Abdoulie Jallow, while caring for their four children. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/OFQXFOMJQVFGRGMMU5TUGE4AQQ.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Awa Kanteh is mourning her husband Abdoulie Jallow, while caring for their four children. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Kanteh cries as she speaks about her husband, saying he had always treated her with kindness. His street business, selling second-hand shoes, was doing relatively well, she says (his nephew, Zakaria, whom Jallow left managing it, says they made at least 700 dalasi \u2212 slightly more than \u20ac8.11 \u2212 profit a day). \u201cBut my husband aimed for more. He tried for the family a lot, he struggled a lot, he was the breadwinner. He stood by us. Anything he had he shared with the family, especially with the children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Jallow had told 22-year-old Zakaria that he would travel. He recruited two others to join him on the boat, Zakaria says, which may have reduced or eliminated his own fare. \u201cI wanted to go with him but he said let me go first and then when I succeed I can organise for you to go,\u201d Zakaria says. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Fally Nget (29), who was also known as Fallou, died on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FOZYY7OWCFA5BNAMTWJCDZDUIQ.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Fally Nget (29), who was also known as Fallou, died on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Fally Nget (29) also found a way to get his fare reduced. He was working as a taxi driver with a vehicle he bought with his brother, who wanted to convince him to build a life in The Gambia instead of trying to reach Europe. Unbeknown to his family, when Nget discovered the \u201cagents\u201d needed a driver to transport passengers to the boat, he offered his services, according to multiple people who knew him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">At the time, Nget was living in his brother\u2019s home, sleeping on a mattress on the ground. He was preparing for a traditional marriage to a woman in Senegal, whom his family referred to as his \u201cwife\u201d. His brother, who does not want to be named, says Nget was under pressure; his extended family relied on him financially as he was childless and his brother had offspring to care for. \u201cHe was a very responsible guy,\u201d says his brother. Each month, Nget would buy them rice and send spending money, known as \u201cfish money\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"The mattress where Fally Nget (also known as Fallou) used to sleep, in his brother&#x2019;s house. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BDFYZZIZRZHKHJJCVXTQ3FNS4A.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>The mattress where Fally Nget (also known as Fallou) used to sleep, in his brother\u2019s house. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Nget left home on June 13th, later sending his brother a voice message saying he had a \u201cmission to run\u201d. Eventually, calls and messages stopped delivering. Almost a week after his final message, Nget\u2019s friend informed his brother he had left the country. It would take almost another month for them to hear reports that Nget had died.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Nget\u2019s brother says not receiving Nget\u2019s body was very difficult. They organised prayers and cooked meals for mourners, but it was not the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">He believes Nget and the other travellers stayed in hiding for more than a week before setting off, meaning they may have eaten much of the food they brought, which should have been taken on the boat. \u201cThat\u2019s what killed them,\u201d he suggests. \u201cFood and water was not enough, fuel was not enough \u2026 Had they said the boat just capsized, people would understand it. [But] saying they died because of hunger and [a lack of] water, it\u2019s very, very painful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Football player Ousman Colley (25) was among the victims on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/YLG3DQK4PRABHKLM6326GFRQCY.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Football player Ousman Colley (25) was among the victims on the boat. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ousman Colley was the only one of the victims from Bafuloto, the quiet area from where the boat set off. The 25-year-old was an eldest son, an unmarried father of two, and the breadwinner of his extended family. He played in the community football team and worked moulding bricks. His mother, Sainabou Sambou, cries as she remembers Colley telling her: \u201c\u2018My mom, the difficulties you are encountering, I will remove them for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Sainabou Sambou, whose son Ousman Colley died on the boat, holds her granddaughter. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SZLB67QWCBAYVP3GAPPHQGVNJA.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Sainabou Sambou, whose son Ousman Colley died on the boat, holds her granddaughter. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">One night, he returned home at about 1am, when he ran into his grandmother and told her he would be back shortly. The elderly woman stayed up, but Colley never returned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">After a few days, Colley\u2019s friend told the family Colley had asked for forgiveness and was travelling. \u201cThat\u2019s how I came to know about the trip,\u201d Sambou says. \u201cHe concealed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">For a week after they heard about his death; mourners came to the house. \u201cThe boy was my hope; he was a very good person,\u201d says Sambou, holding laminated pictures of her son.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The Gambia, with a population of roughly 2.9 million, is a sliver of a state that was once a British colony, set inside former French colony Senegal. It is the smallest country on mainland Africa, said to be so-shaped because the British wanted to maintain control of the Gambia river. Poverty is rife; The Gambia ranks 170 out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, education and per capita income. Ireland\u2019s GDP per capita in 2025 (<a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.worldbank.org%2Findicator%2FNY.GDP.PCAP.CD%3Flocations%3DIE&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670033717%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JMSFTZ9egQDc708H%2FY4ghbeqFWaLQDap7DEzRimQUT4%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.worldbank.org%2Findicator%2FNY.GDP.PCAP.CD%3Flocations%3DIE&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670033717%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JMSFTZ9egQDc708H%2FY4ghbeqFWaLQDap7DEzRimQUT4%3D&amp;reserved=0\">\u20ac113<\/a>,000) was more than 143 times the size of The Gambia\u2019s (<a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.worldbank.org%2Findicator%2FNY.GDP.PCAP.CD%3Flocations%3DGM&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670073835%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dJ0%2Fn7nZMBkdJsHratMrTDJT6JLsIo0lz%2Fttzoy6oU4%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.worldbank.org%2Findicator%2FNY.GDP.PCAP.CD%3Flocations%3DGM&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670073835%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dJ0%2Fn7nZMBkdJsHratMrTDJT6JLsIo0lz%2Fttzoy6oU4%3D&amp;reserved=0\">\u20ac789<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Money from Gambians abroad is keeping the country afloat. Last year, remittances from the diaspora through formal channels alone came to about \u20ac746 million, accounting for more than 30 per cent of the country\u2019s GDP, <a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Falkambatimes.com%2Fgambias-diaspora-remittances-surge-to-872-million-in-2025-exceeding-30-of-gdp%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670094603%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ptIRn7GFW5zaqhv95sQZDqGKDfS5JvMkhbx2j5%2B2xe0%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">according<\/a> to local media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transparency.org\/en\/cpi\/2025\/index\/gmb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.transparency.org\/en\/cpi\/2025\/index\/gmb\">Corruption levels<\/a> are high. The political situation is uncertain. In 2017, dictator Yahya Jammeh was exiled after 22 years in power. A truth and reconciliation process investigated human rights abuses under his rule, but many Gambians say those implicated continue to walk free or even remain in positions of power. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">New elections are scheduled for later this year. Adama Barrow, who once promised to be a three-year transitional president, is now running for a third term, causing some Gambians to worry that history is repeating itself.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"The Gambia ranks 170 out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/V3DX55DYLBFLDGWZW5MMBJ4KAY.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>The Gambia ranks 170 out of 193 countries in the Human Development Index. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">In Gambian parlance, \u201cthe back way\u201d means any journey to reach Europe without having official permission to travel. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Until recent years, it used to commonly refer to what were mostly land journeys, often north to Libya, before likely spending a few days at sea. The Central Mediterranean route, between Libya or Tunisia and Italy or Malta, has been labelled the deadliest migration route in the world. And crossing it has become tougher. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Since 2017, the European Union-supported Libyan coastguard has intercepted more than 193,000 people, forcing them back to Libya, where they are often detained indefinitely and victim to human rights abuses including torture, killing, sexual violence and trafficking, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/press-releases\/2026\/02\/migrants-libya-victims-violent-business-model-systemic-violations-and-abuses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/press-releases\/2026\/02\/migrants-libya-victims-violent-business-model-systemic-violations-and-abuses\">as documented by the United Nations<\/a> and others. It is just one aspect of the hardening of European borders, which has seen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/western-routes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/western-routes\/\">the EU spend billions<\/a> in efforts to stop people from reaching its territory.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Some migration activists describe migration routes as like a balloon: if you squeeze one section, another will expand. According to the organisation <a href=\"https:\/\/caminandofronteras.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/caminandofronteras.org\/\">Caminando Fronteras<\/a>, at least 635 people died on the so-called Atlantic route in the first <a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaminandofronteras.org%2Fen%2Fmonitoreo%2Fmonitoring-the-right-to-life-first-5-months-of-2026%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670175719%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=EGegyFWkvLAr2NsBGIX8gBwh82dREz0yVxhfJ3Fj8rg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">five months<\/a> of 2026, meaning 21 died for every 100 who arrived. More than 20,000 people have died since 2022 on this route, says the organisation. When all sea routes to Spain are included, at least 376 boats have <a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaminandofronteras.org%2Fen%2Freports%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670194903%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=koB3%2BjI8nTOOoWT2vnqM97ESlqecbMpPc%2BWcjvrdcG0%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">disappeared<\/a> with everyone on board since 2022, Caminando Fronteras says. Helena Maleno, the organisation\u2019s founder, says this makes the Atlantic route the \u201cdeadliest open route in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">What happens to missing boats has been suggested at. In 2021, an Associated Press <a href=\"https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprojects.apnews.com%2Ffeatures%2F2023%2Fadrift%2Findex.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CEllen.ORiordan%40irishtimes.com%7C8d521e6c43d84879387c08df04111906%7Ce6c8e7dc529047f68b07209934781091%7C0%7C0%7C639234143670213829%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aHApbM%2BHOibvzVLd%2BwtfiAGFEZan5TV7mc3xqFY69iA%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">investigation<\/a> found at least seven boats carrying dead bodies had washed up in the Caribbean and Brazil, all of which appeared to come from Africa. It traced one \u201cghost boat\u201d, discovering it had left the Mauritanian port city of Nouadhibou, aiming for the Canaries. Some of victims\u2019 families recognised their clothing through photographs shared by reporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Many of those interviewed for this article say boats are now leaving from The Gambia because the EU\u2019s deals with countries closer to the Canary Islands have made departures from those countries much harder. A spokesman for the European Commission, the EU\u2019s executive arm, said the EU \u201chas significantly increased co-operation with partner countries on all aspects of migration management\u201d and aims for further co-operation to deter \u201cirregular and unsafe departures [and] break the business model of the smugglers\u201d. He said \u201cthe western African route saw the steepest decline of any route\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Spain says it is also \u201csupporting\u201d the \u201csecurity sector\u201d in The Gambia, including through the provision of equipment such as motorbikes. The Gambian Immigration Department regularly posts updates on its Facebook account with information about boats it has confiscated and people it has detained. As in other countries, there are also rumours of security officials being paid to look the other way. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The Gambian Immigration Department did not respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The exact death toll on the Bafuloto boat remains uncertain. In a statement released on July 22nd, the UN-related International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said it believed about 180 people were on the boat, of whom 38 survived. Survivors say two more of those died before they could be treated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ebrima Drammeh, a 29-year-old Gambian activist who runs a Facebook page sharing updates on boats missing at sea, says he complained to IOM about this. He heard there were some 270 people on the boat, including about 38 women and 18 children. Many had waited in hiding for 10 days before boarding, he heard.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Ebrima Drammeh, who runs 'Ebrima Migrants Situation', has more than 104,000 Facebook followers. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TSEGYHA37JC2VEJIOLJ3B6U4YY.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Ebrima Drammeh, who runs &#8216;Ebrima Migrants Situation&#8217;, has more than 104,000 Facebook followers. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">This was far from the only tragedy this year, Drammeh says. The day before our meeting, he announced another boat had disappeared, after more than six weeks at sea, with at least 163 people on board, including 14 women and 19 Guineans all from one village. The husband of a woman on board was trying to ring her. \u201cShe didn\u2019t survive,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Drammeh says he receives thousands of messages and stays up until 3am responding. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">\u201cNo one\u2019s even aware; no one even cares,\u201d he says. But \u201cthey have families, they have brothers and sisters back home who need to know what happened\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">In a statement released on July 22nd, M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res said its teams had helped survivors from the Bafuloto boat in Mauritania four days before. \u201cPeople who reached the shore\u201d were experiencing \u201cacute psychological distress\u201d and \u201csuffering from post-traumatic shock and psychosis, bone fractures, traumatic injuries, and hypothermia\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The organisation said the \u201cseverity of the testimonies and the scale of the loss of life also had a significant psychological impact on the teams involved in the response\u201d. Survivors were \u201cfirst assisted by fishermen, then by the Mauritanian coastguards, before being brought to the Mauritanian Red Crescent\u201d in the coastal city of Nouadhibou, it said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Seven Gambians reportedly survived the Bafuloto boat journey, although at least one remained so unwell as to be unable to communicate a month later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">We manage to meet two survivors, who have travelled back to The Gambia from Mauritania.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Alhagie Ngie (27) speaks during two interviews \u2013 first on the phone and then at home with his mother. Mustapha Secka (29) speaks during an in-person interview. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Alhagie Ngie is one of the 36 survivors of the deadly boat journey. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/X74JHGAL25FMFIZ3Z7T6GLU74U.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Alhagie Ngie is one of the 36 survivors of the deadly boat journey. Photograph: Sally Hayden <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Mustapha Secka also survived the boat journey. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TTYBZ3JG5RE2RNVPJ6JO5HW6F4.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Mustapha Secka also survived the boat journey. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">All the \u201cagents\u201d running the trip and the captains were Senegalese, the survivors say. Both say they paid the equivalent of about \u20ac580 each to two different Senegalese men, whose names we believe the Gambian authorities are aware of. . <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Secka believes there were 217 people on board, including about 20 women and five children, two of whom survived. Ngie estimates there were 25 women, one of whom was pregnant. He believes all of the children survived. He says there were five captains, three of whom survived. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Secka remembers the captains as friendly. \u201cThey made us laugh,\u201d he says. The captains controlled the communal food on the boat: gari flour, biscuits and couscous with milk powder. But many passengers had their own stashes: dates, sweet bread, sardines, kola nuts or cake pounded with peanut butter. The captain\u2019s fair distribution meant a point was reached when they \u201cbegged\u201d others for food, Secka says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">He says the passengers and the captains had complained to the \u201cagents\u201d \u2013 who did not board the boat \u2013 that there was not enough water when they were leaving. Their first attempt to sail was a false start, and they returned to the mangroves before going again a day later. Most people on the boat were travelling because \u201ctheir families are too poor,\u201d he says. \u201cI saw a lot of people in the boat and they told you their problems.\u201d They included a sick man with skin rashes who wanted to \u201ccure himself\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The communal food had already run out, Secka says, when, after about nine days, a captain announced they were some 50km from Spain. Ngie remembers it as after seven days, and that the man said a Spanish rescue was coming. He says passengers started celebrating, even pouring water on themselves. Secka says people shared their remaining personal food stocks. But \u201cthat 50km became hundreds of kilometres and became days\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"The boat set off from Bafuloto in the West Coast Region of The Gambia. Photograph: Sally Hayden\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WOTGOPBS5FFLDEFXIEDYTLEFAU.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>The boat set off from Bafuloto in the West Coast Region of The Gambia. Photograph: Sally Hayden <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">\u201cThe captain didn\u2019t know where he was. He\u2019d say very soon we\u2019d arrive in Spain. We drove day and night,\u201d says Ngie. \u201cThe fuel started running low, the food. Everybody got confused. It got to a point where we said we couldn\u2019t go further, let them turn and get help. The captain said: \u2018Let\u2019s go to Morocco; he didn\u2019t know where he was going\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">After nine days, Secka says, the first engine broke. The second engine had a problem 16 days in. The compass developed issues too. They had a makeshift sail that put them at the mercy of the wind, which did not seem to be taking them anywhere. They had a satellite phone, but calls for help went unanswered and then the phone stopped working.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">It was day 13 or 14 when people started dying, says Secka. At least nine dead bodies were thrown in the sea each day after that, he says. He could see it happen from where he sat at the top of the boat. The captains would pray as they did it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">When the deaths started, Secka says, passengers still helped each other for a while. \u201cI used to help people who were struggling when I knew without that they would die. I saw other people rendering the same food or help to people in the boat.\u201d He recalls one man clutching his stomach. The man later threw himself into the sea. \u201cMost of them before they die they hallucinate; they go mad,\u201d Secka says. Ngie says one of his friends threw himself into the sea after announcing he was going to the shop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/europe\/2026\/06\/11\/pope-leo-appeals-to-world-leaders-for-more-humane-treatment-of-migrants\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pope Leo appeals to world leaders for more humane treatment of migrantsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Night became frightening, Secka says. When darkness fell \u201cthe only things you\u2019d hear is: \u2018they\u2019re biting me\u2019, or someone dying\u201d. Both survivors say there was an area at the bottom of the boat with seawater in it, which they were worried they could be dragged into. Ngie had a nightmare about being taken there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ngie says he tried to fight off someone who began sucking the blood of a \u201cboy\u201d who \u201clater died\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">\u201cI attacked him but I couldn\u2019t overpower him, the captain came with the cutlass and he ran,\u201d he says. \u201cI can\u2019t explain everything that happened in the boat. What happened, there is too much. When you don\u2019t have food \u2026 You can\u2019t imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Secka says he was wearing \u201cjuju\u201d, or charms, as protection. If someone attacked, he would hit the person with a charm. But he believes he saw other people attempting to suck blood from the necks of fellow passengers. He estimates at least seven people could have died from this. \u201cAt that time they weren\u2019t thinking of anything, only how to survive,\u201d he says. Anyone who fell could be a victim, he says. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t do anything to them because you didn\u2019t have strength. They will put their mouth on your body and suck your blood.\u201d The top of the boat, where he was, was safer, he says, although sometimes he\u2019d feel a tug at his leg. All of those guilty of this ended up dying too, he says.<\/p>\n<blockquote cite=\"Alhagie Ngie\" class=\"c-stack b-it-article-body__pullquote\" data-style-direction=\"vertical\" data-style-justification=\"start\" data-style-alignment=\"unset\" data-style-inline=\"false\" data-style-wrap=\"nowrap\">\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Each of us were tired, frail, we couldn\u2019t get up \u2026 Before we reached the port two more had died<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u00a0Alhagie Ngie<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ngie says anyone suspected of \u201cwitchcraft\u201d could be tied up and thrown in the sea. \u201cIf the captain sees you doing certain behaviours in the boat they become suspicious. Hallucinating, saying things, odd behaviours \u2026 They are afraid that your single action may sacrifice everyone; they will not allow that.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">At some point, Secka says, the passengers became convinced a Malian woman was a witch and was deliberately preventing the engine from working. Secka says the woman even announced this to those on board. \u201cWe were very confused at that time,\u201d he says. \u201cThe captain told his assistants to catch her and throw her and bundle her in the sea &#8230; After that the machine refused to start any more.\u201d Sources in Mauritania said one man was detained in relation to this death. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">By that point, those still alive could only drink seawater. Secka believes they had been at sea for at least 20 days. There was a mechanic on board, who attempted to fix the engine and briefly got it to start, but he did not know which direction to go and then he died, Secka says. Those who were left realised the remaining fuel had mixed with seawater, rendering it unusable. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">The same day the mechanic died, a captain\u2019s wife tried to pee in the sea but fell overboard. Two captains died trying to rescue her, both Secka and Ngie say. Secka says her breastfeeding baby lasted two more days before dying too, and Ngie says the couple\u2019s two other children survived the trip, after being minded by a Gambian woman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">During their time at sea, Secka says, \u201cwe saw a lot of Mauritanian fishermen. We waved but they didn\u2019t help us.\u201d At one point, a fisherman threw spoiled fish into the water, and those on the boat salvaged and ate it. On their last day, they appealed to men on a fishing vessel who passed them water, milk powder and biscuits, and finally called for help. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ngie thinks it was on the 19th day that they found the fishermen who called for help. \u201cEach of us were tired, frail, we couldn\u2019t get up \u2026 Before we reached the port two more had died.\u201d They spent the next week in hospital. Survival is \u201cnot about fitness, bravery; it\u2019s only about God,\u201d says Ngie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Sitting close to him, Ngie\u2019s mother Ida Jeng says her son will not try to reach Europe again. \u201cGod says never force anything that is not your luck,\u201d she announces, half to him. Jeng\u2019s uncle died trying to reach Europe many years earlier. When she found out what happened to her son, she says, she \u201cdidn\u2019t sleep at night. I cried like a madman. He is my everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/opinion\/2026\/08\/16\/breda-obrien-europe-cant-have-it-both-ways-on-migration\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Europe can\u2019t have it both ways on migrationOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ngie was in serious pain when he returned. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t have recognised him,\u201d says his mother. As his strength comes back, he has taken on the difficult duty of telling family members about their loved ones\u2019 fates. Many do not believe his story, calling him again and again, he says. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Before Jallow\u2019s death, Ngie says, Jallow talked about his children, saying he wanted to return to them. Nget had become \u201cconfused\u201d at the end, he says, and Colley died at the \u201clast minute\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Ngie says the agents who organised the boat should not get away with it, that they deserve \u201clife imprisonment\u201d. One family he knows lost five boys and young men, the eldest just 20 years old. \u201cThey\u2019re all the same family from the same area \u2026 If I sit and think about them, it\u2019s too stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">He says he needs help now: capital to restart his life so he can begin working again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Secka\u2019s skin is still damaged and peeling. More than a month after being rescued, he was only beginning to move around again. He credits his survival partially to how little seawater he drank, maybe three sips a day. Ngie, too, says he drank very little. If the rescue had taken any longer, both are certain they would have died as well. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Still, Secka would try the journey again. \u201cIf I had a way to travel I would travel. Even if it\u2019s a boat and I had money, today I would go. The country is very hard. I want to work, any job that man can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">Whether they see leaving as a goal or not, most of those interviewed for this investigation want to see accountability. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">\u201cIf they see [the agent] they should arrest him and prosecute him because a lot of people died,\u201d says Jallow\u2019s nephew Zakaria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">\u201cEverybody knows that the \u2018back way\u2019 is a risky journey; you either make it or you die,\u201d says Nget\u2019s brother. But, he says: \u201cOf course we want to know the one responsible \u2026 You cannot risk somebody\u2019s life just like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall \">This reporting was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They had come from near and far: women, men and children, from The Gambia and countries further afield,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":661978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[41],"tags":[4204,9,10,2219,13,14,6,11,12,15,16,19614,5,383,7,8,2212,65,66,67],"class_list":["post-661977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world","tag-africa","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-european-union","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-migrant-crisis","tag-news","tag-spain","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-weekendreview","tag-world","tag-world-news","tag-worldnews"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117178231962044091","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/661978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}