Up to 83 people, including a baby, are feared to have died after a boat believed to have departed The Gambia was left drifting in the Atlantic Ocean for 27 days before being rescued off the Canary Islands.

Spanish Maritime Rescue teams located the vessel on Wednesday, about 65 nautical miles southwest of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria, finding 44 survivors and five bodies on board.

The boat is believed to have left The Gambia in early August. Human rights activist Helena Maleno Garzón, founder of Caminando Fronteras, estimated that 83 people had died during the journey.

The figure corresponds to 127 people reportedly being on board and 44 survivors, but Spanish Maritime Rescue said it could not independently verify the vessel’s original passenger count. The 83 deaths should therefore be treated as an estimate, not a confirmed official figure.

The five bodies found on the vessel could not be recovered because of dangerous sea conditions, with winds reaching 20 knots and waves of about 2.5 metres.

The 44 survivors, all men from The Gambia and other West African countries, were taken to Gran Canaria. Three were airlifted to hospital in critical condition, while the others were transported by sea and arrived in the early hours of Thursday.

The tragedy once again highlights the dangers faced by Gambians and other West Africans attempting to reach the Canary Islands through the Atlantic migration route, one of the world’s deadliest migration crossings.

Thousands attempt the perilous journey each year in search of better opportunities in Europe, risking rough seas, strong currents and long periods without food or water.