Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 05th of October 2015

Case name: 2015_10_05-CM48
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 2 boats in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea with several 100 persons on board, all rescued
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Monday the 5th of October 2015 Father Mussie Zerai alerted the Alarm Phone to two boats in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea. We had direct contact to one of them and, in the end, the rescue of both boats could be confirmed. On that day, according to the Italian coastguard, several rescue vessels had rescued a total of 1830 travellers.

At about 6am Father Mussie Zerai provided us with the satellite phone number of one of the two wooden boats. In several direct phone calls we received their position north of Zuwara/Libya and learned that they were approximately 300 travellers on board, with another boat following them. At 7am we talked again with the boat and heard that their engine was still running. Afterwards, we informed the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rome via phone and mail. At 8am the boat called us back, stating that they were in distress. In the following hours, we continuously checked the satellite phone credit and tried to keep in touch with the boat, but connection could not be re-established. However, in another call with the MRCC Rome at 10am it was confirmed to us, that the Italian coastguard was conducting a rescue operation in that area. In the afternoon we learned from several contact persons that the boat we were in contact with had been rescued together with the one escorting it. With a view to the Italian coastguard’s press release, we assume that in total 717 travellers had been rescued from both boats.