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Volunteers help migrants reverse water injury in Spain's Canaries

S miling broadly, maybe to conceal their nervousness, dozens of young African migrants wearing swimming safety glasses took their first strokes and exhaled into kneedeep water on a Tenerife beach, led by Spanish volunteer instructors.

Many are experiencing water trauma after a perilous crossing to the Canary Islands from nations such as Senegal or Mauritania stuffed into precarious boats. Some hardly survived and others lost family members or buddies to the ocean.

There are individuals who come with a dreadful fear that you see when they enter the water holding your hand as if clinging to life, stated Jorge Balcazar, coordinator of Task Agua at the rescue charity Proemaid, saying some individuals had invested approximately 15 days at sea.

The variety of migrants arriving irregularly by sea to the island chain soared by 160% in between January and July 15 from a. year ago to almost 20,000 people, representing the bulk of such. arrivals by sea to Spain, according to Spain's interior. ministry.

Migration rights group Walking Borders stated a report last. report that nearly 5,000 migrants, an extraordinary number, have. died at sea in the same duration on that path.

I wouldn't do it once again. It's very challenging, really, extremely. unsafe. It's a danger we took, since we didn't have a choice. It's tough in Mali, said Mamadou M Bathily, a 24-year-old. experienced IT expert, who concerned Tenerife a week ago by means of. Senegal in addition to 215 others.

The volunteers work with groups of 35-40 individuals and hope to. train as many as 450 throughout the summer, said Francisco Navarro,. of another non-profit, ACCEM.

Proemaid's Balcazar said the volunteers were working with. both non-swimmers and individuals with some water experience to. remove or reverse that trauma.

The reality is that in a few sessions you see modifications and. their thankfulness, which gives us a substantial increase of energy..

(source: Reuters)