Ten African men were caught attempting to paddle across the Strait of Gibraltar on a children's toy dingy to Spain from Morocco

 

Emotion: One of the rescued Africans struggles to contain his tears as contemplates his lucky escape

Risking their lives for a new life:Ten burly African men cram themselves onto a plastic children's toy dingy in a desperate attempt to sail across the Strait of Gibraltar and smuggle themselves to Spain from Morocco (photos)

 Ten burly African men cram themselves onto a plastic children's toy dingy in a desperate attempt to sail across the Strait of Gibraltar and smuggle themselves into Europe.
The would-be illegal immigrants were rescued around six miles from the Spanish town of Tarifa by emergency services and members of the Red Cross.
Many of the men appeared to break down in tears as they were hauled aboard the rescue vessel and provided with blankets and water.

                                       The boat was discovered six miles from the Spanish town of Tarfia

 It is believed that the men are all from sub-Saharan Africa and were on the final stages of an epic journey which saw them cross the desert on their way to the Moroccan coast.

The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain and Morocco by around nine miles - a ferry ride between the two continents takes roughly 35 minutes.
Due to its location it is one of the key smuggling routes for illegal immigrants crossing into Europe.

                Help at hand: Members of the Red Cross pull up alongside the migrants boat and prepare to haul them aboard

 Exhaustion: Now safely aboard the Red Cross boat, the look of relief on the migrants; faces is plain to see while one refuses to let go of his trusty yellow dingy 

                                      One of the rescued men layed wrapped in a blanket aboard the Spanish coastguard dingy

A member of the Red Cross puts his arm around one of the would-be immigrants after their dramatic rescue

On Saturday, a total of 47 immigrants from Africa were saved by a Spanish maritime rescue unit as they crossed the Straight of Gibraltar in three fragile boats.

The first of the boats was carrying 28 people including 14 women, nine men and five babies, Hispanically Speaking News reported.

A second boat was found to be carrying 12 immigrants while a third was carrying seven.

The first boat was found two miles out to sea from the port of Tarifa in southern Spain.

                          The plastic dingy is secured to the side of an emergency services boat as it heads back to Spain