Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigation – 6th of June 2015

Case name: 2015_06_06-CM22
Situation: Vessel in distress in Libyan waters, rescued
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Saturday the 6th of June 2015, at approximately 6.30am, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by Father Mussie Zerai to a vessel in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea. He passed on the satellite phone number of one of the passengers and asked the shift team to contact the vessel. Shortly afterwards, we made the first attempt to get hold of the passengers but they could not be reached and so we informed the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Rome.

At around 7:45am, our shift team reached the passengers and was told that they were already receiving assistance. However, due to communication difficulties, further information could not be obtained. We then reached out to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and informed them about the case. MSF reported back to us at around 9.20am, stating that they had received the information that MRCC Rome was responding to this distress situation.

Despite further correspondence with MRCC Rome as well as MFS, for several hours the rescue of the vessel in question could not be confirmed. It emerged that there were several cases of distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea involving various search and rescue vessels.

At around 6.40pm, our shift team contacted MRCC Rome once again and they finally confirmed that the passengers in distress had been rescued. MRCC Rome stated that they were rescued hours earlier together with other people in distress in vicinity. In a press release, the Italian coastguard announced that 3480 people were rescued on Saturday alone, in 15 rescue operations off the Libyan coast, involving various patrol and navy vessels.