The search for two French nationals who went missing off the coast of northern Morocco has been extended to Spanish waters, according to the Moroccan Center for Maritime Rescue and the French maritime authorities. The two individuals, aboard a catamaran, reported difficulties on Sunday, May 24, 2026, near the city of Al Hoceima.
Rescue operations, initially concentrated on the Moroccan side, were expanded on Thursday, May 28, 2026, to include the Spanish coast guard and rescue services. The decision followed a request from the French authorities and coordination between the Moroccan and Spanish rescue coordination centers.
The catamaran, named 'Sirocco,' was last heard from on May 24. The French nationals, a man and a woman in their 50s, had been sailing from the Canary Islands to the Mediterranean. No distress signal has been received since the initial report.
Spanish maritime rescue services have deployed aircraft and vessels to search the waters near the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as the Alboran Sea. The search area covers hundreds of square nautical miles. The families of the missing individuals have been informed and are being supported by the French consulate in Tangier.
