Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 9th of September 2015‬

Case name: 2015_09_09-AEG65
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 14 distress cases near several Greek islands
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Aegean Sea

On Wednesday the 9th of September 2015, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 14 emergency cases in the Aegean Sea. In this report we will first summarise three situations that were particularly challenging and unique for our shift teams before providing brief summaries of the remaining 11 cases.

Three distress cases: At about 1.45am, the Alarm Phone was contacted by the brother of someone who had disappeared when trying to swim from Kas/Turkey to Kastellorizo/Greece. We spoke the brother and he asks us to notify the coastguards. Trying to cross the Aegean Sea by swimming is highly dangerous and, since the man had been missing for several hours already, we were very worried. But then, shortly afterwards, the contact person informed us that his brother had actually made it to Greece! We then spoke to the brother who asks us for support as he had no clothes and water, and was disoriented between some rocks on the island. Fortunately, he was able to send us his GPS position. We contacted both the medical emergency services and the police station on the small island and they merely stated that they could not send rescue forces but that he would have to find his own way to the police station. We passed on the information and the man said that he was now walking and had found a road.

At 5.19am, we were informed about a group of 45 people, including 10 women and 12 children, who had entered a situation of distress at sea. We were given a phone number as well as coordinates. We reached the travellers and they said that they were very tired, waves were high and they had run out of patrol. We advised them to call the international emergency number 112 which they tried three times, without reaching anyone. We informed the Greek coastguards who said that they had just received information about a group of 45 travellers who had reached an island. As it turned out, however, this was a different group. At approximately 7.30am, the group told us about their new position, which showed them in Turkish waters. The Greek coastguard then claimed that the group had been rescued to Samos, which, however, was not the case at that point. At 7.54am, we received a new position, showing that they were drifting further south-east. The Greek coastguards told us that they had alerted the Turkish coastguards since the vessel was in their territory. At 8.10am, the Turkish coastguards asked us to confirm whether the vessel was in distress which we confirmed – the engine was clearly malfunctioning and they were drifting in high waves. At 9.23am, the rescue of the group was confirmed to us and a few minutes later the travellers confirmed that they arrived on Samos/Greece. They send us their updated positions, showing that they were moving toward the centre of the island. Asked about whether they needed further support, they just said: ‘We want to go and win’.

In the night we were also alerted to a particularly dramatic and challenging situation. We were informed about a group near Kas/Turkey, who were said to have been taken hostage by smugglers. We received coordinates as well as a phone number. They told us that the smugglers had tried to force them onto a boat but that they refused. Amongst the group were 1 woman and a 3 months old baby who needed urgent medical care. They were now in a forest in the mountains. We informed the Turkish gendarme and explained the situation to them. They said that they could not do much at night. Apparently they had spotted the group from a police vessel but could not come closer to land. They also said that they could not send cars or helicopters due to the terrain. However, one of our contact persons contacted the UNHCR and they said that they would send a helicopter. After approximately 1.16am, we lost contact to the group until 5.58am when we were able to get in touch with them again via WhatsApp. They said that they were still being threatened by people with guns and needed urgent help. At 6.05am the Turkish gendarme confirmed that the coastguard was searching the area for them. At 6.10am we received an update from the group which said that they were already for 24 hours in the forest. The last information we received from the group directly was that the smugglers were moving them away. Then, for about two hours, no information could be obtained. At 8.37am, our contact person told us that they were now with the police. We then informed the UNHCR.

Summary of other 11 cases: Also during the night, our shift team was alerted to 3 vessels that were heading in direction of Farmakonisi Island/Greece. We informed the Greek coastguards who, after some discussion, agreed to search for them. Later on we learned that they had been rescued.

At 2.04am we were contacted via Facebook and told about a distress situation of a vessel seeking to reach Chios/Greece. The 40 people on board were in danger as their vessel was capsizing. We informed the Turkish coastguard who rescued them.

Our friends from the Macedonian activist collective told us about a vessel trying to reach Lesvos at 4.30am and informed us that they had lost contact to the people on board. The Greek coastguards were already informed. At 8.12am we heard back from the group, they were not in distress and still on their way to Greece.

The same collective also told us about a group stuck on Farmakonisi Island/Greece. We could not establish contact with the group and did not receive any news about their situation for several hours. In the afternoon, at 4.08pm, the collective confirmed that the people would be transferred from the island later on the same day.

We were again informed via a Facebook contact about a group of 35 people, including 12 children in distress near Chios Island/Greece. The contact person informed the Greek coastguards and later confirmed that they had safely arrived on the island.

At 8.51am we were informed by our Syrian activist friends who told us about an unclear distress situation north of Lesvos, still in Turkish waters. Our contact person established contact to the travellers and was informed that their vessel was at risk of capsizing. Afterwards, contact to the group broke down and their rescue could not be confirmed.

At 9.28am, we were alerted to a distress situation near Chios/Greece via a Facebook post. About 1 hour later we received the confirmation that the people had been rescued to Chios.

A similar situation, where the Alarm Phone received limited information, occurred shortly afterwards when a vessel was in distress near Samos/Greece. Their rescue by the Turkish coastguards was confirmed later on.

At 3.53pm, our shift team was alerted to a group of 42 people who were on a vessel that was at risk of capsizing. We reached the passengers who were clearly panicking and shouted ‘we cannot swim, we cannot swim’. Fortunately they were able to reach the island of Lesvos. However, in this case, a man went overboard and went missing. We contacted the Greek coastguards who asked us to send regular updates about the situation. A contact person of ours confirmed at 10.30am that the Turkish coastguards had found the man – he was unconscious but alive.

At 4.12am, we were contacted about a vessel in distress near Lesvos. We informed the Greek coastguards and only minutes later we were informed that they vessel had been rescued.

At 5pm, we were informed about another case near Lesvos and we reached the travellers who told us that their engine was not working anymore. They could see other vessels and land but nobody had come to their rescue. The Greek coastguards of Lesvos told us that they could not reach all of the boats in distress but noted down the coordinates of the vessel. They said that a patrol vessel was already in the area and would also look for this particular vessel. At 7.26pm we were able to establish contact with the group again. They said that they had been rescued by the Greek coastguards and were already on Lesvos.