Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 3rd of April 2019
Case name: 2019_04_03-CM154
Situation: 64 people from Zuwarah rescued by Alan Kurdi
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On April 3, 2019, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted at 10.28am CET to a distress case of 64 people (including 10 women, 5 children, and 1 infant) who had left from Zuwarah. The shift team attempted to call and inform the Libyan Coast Guard, however there was no chance to even reach them. Eventually, the people were found and rescued by the NGO Sea-Eye and disembarked in Malta.

In the initial call by the boat, at 10.28am, they informed us that their engine had broken down and that they were in immediate distress. We asked them to send us a GPS position in order to locate them. Our shift team uploaded credit to their satellite phone to ensure they could continue reaching out. At 11.04am, they called us and were clearly panicking, telling us that they needed support and medical treatment. We asked them to remain calm and wait for rescue. After repeated conversations, we received their GPS position. With this position, we alerted the Libyan coastguards, as European authorities had instructed to do in several cases over the recent past, as well as Sea-Eye as we knew that their vessel, the Alan Kurdi, was operating in the central Mediterranean.

At 11.55am, we spoke to the people on the boat again. They were anxious, crying and shouting. We asked them for their updated GPS position. At 12.11pm, they told us that they had sent their position, which never reached us, however.

The Alarm Phone then decided to make this case public, as, once again, authorities were rejecting responsibility.

Tweet: “BREAKING: another boat off #Libya in distress! At 10.30 CEST, we were called by 64 people, including up to 10 women, 5 children and 1 infant, in urgent #distress. Later we received their GPS position, near Zuwarah. Authorities called to this case couldn't be reached.”

Tweet: “Around 11.00 CEST, the 64 ppl told us that they were sick & needed medical aid. We emailed the Libyan authorities and #AlanKurdi, @seaeyeorg vessel searching for the group of 50 ppl that went missing on Monday. #AlanKurdi was closest to the distressed and began a #SAR operation.”

Finally, at 1.00pm CET, Alan Kurdi reached the boat and performed a successful rescue operation.

Tweet: “#AlanKurdi spotted the boat & carried out a successful rescue operation, rescuing the lives of 64 people. We are so relieved about this good news. This case shows again the importance of civil society engagement & the #civilfleet as well as the absence of state actors off #Libya.”

After yet another inhumane stand-off which lasted 10 days, the people were disembarked from the Alan Kurdi and brought to Malta. We tweeted: “Finally, the people who called us from the #Med & were rescued by #AlanKurdi are now allowed to disembark at #Malta. Their suffering was prolonged by being held hostage for 10 days. In fact, not politicians but activists and humanitarians are fighting for a welcoming #Europe.”