The live connection of the RadioTelevisión Canaria (RTVC) program ‘Buenos días, Canarias’ was marked by tragedy as it broadcast the arrival of a cayuco at the port of La Restinga, in El Hierro. The vessel, which had traveled over two thousand kilometers from Guinea Conakry with approximately one hundred and fifty people on board, unexpectedly capsized just as it was approaching the docks of the small pier.
Tension grew as the broadcast progressed. The images reflected on the internal screens showed the dramatic moment of the capsizing, while the journalist presenter and coordinator, Pilar Rumeu, maintained her composure despite the gravity of the situation. The narration was intermittent, reflecting the helplessness in the face of the tragedy unfolding in the Mar de las Calmas, with shouts, laments, and desperate movements from those fighting for survival.
The rescue operation actively involved not only the personnel from Salvamento Marítimo and a Salvamar unit but also volunteers, Red Cross workers, and members of diving clubs, demonstrating remarkable active solidarity in the face of the emergency involving human lives.
RTVC reporter Eduardo Pulido and his camera operator, Maribel Armas, overwhelmed by the event, provided testimony of great journalistic and media significance. The program's director, Juani Brito, skillfully coordinated the coverage. The images and despair captured by the journalistic team were considered crucial for viewing by authorities and institutional representatives, in search of solutions to this human tragedy.
The journey, covering over two thousand kilometers, tragically ended on the shore of La Restinga, claiming at least seven lives. The experience lived by the journalists and the RTVC team, as well as the shock generated by the event, deserve to be remembered, especially in a context of messages about migration and the search for a better life.
