Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 2nd of March 2016

Case name: 2016_03_02-AEG223
Situation: 02/03: 6 groups in distress near Greek islands of Lesvos and Pasas
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Wednesday the 2nd of March 2016, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 6 groups of travellers in distress near the Greek islands of Lesvos and Pasas. While one group had stranded on Pasas and was transferred to Chios afterwards, 5 boats had been in distress east of the Greek island of Lesvos. In the end, two boats reached Lesvos independently and the Greek coastguard rescued one boat. Beyond that, one boat returned to Turkey independently and the Turkish coastguard rescued another boat.

At around midnight, the Alarm Phone was called directly from a Turkish number (case 1). We heard many overlapping voices, but then the call was interrupted. We called the phone number back via Skype and were able to talk to one traveller. We realized that the group was in distress, but we needed a translator to understand the exact problem. With the help of a translator we learned at 0.40am that there were 50 people on a rubber boat. They were scared but not in urgent distress. 15 minutes later, at 0.54am, we received the GPS coordinates of the group, which showed them very close to the Greek island of Lesvos. We called the Greek coastguard at 0.57am and informed them about the boat, but we were quite sure that the boat would independently reach the coast. 20 minutes afterwards, at 1.19am, the travellers confirmed to our translator via WhatsApp that they had safely arrived on Lesvos and that local rescue teams were already waiting for them.

At 5am the Alarm Phone was again directly called from a boat in distress, carrying 40 people (case 2). As the communication via phone was difficult, we asked for a WhatsApp number and received it at 5.09am. At 5.12am we asked the travellers via WhatsApp to sent us their current GPS position. They did so at 5.18am and we were able to see that they had already entered Greek territorial waters east of Lesvos. Thus we called the Greek coastguard in Piraeus immediately afterwards and forwarded their position and phone number. At 5.23am we informed the travellers that the coastguard would come and rescue them. At 5.36am the travellers confirmed to us that the Greek coastguard had arrived and in the course of the next 10 minutes we received confirmation from several contact persons that the coastguard had rescued the travellers.

At 6.08am a contact person alerted us to 40 people in distress and forwarded their phone number and a GPS position in Turkish territorial waters east of the Greek island of Lesvos to us (case 3). We tried to contact the people via WhatsApp and reached them at 06.16am. They wrote to us that they were in real danger and we promised to call the Turkish coastguard. At 6.18am the contact person forwarded updated coordinates to us and added the information that the boat had broken down and that water was quickly entering it. At 6.25am we called the Turkish coastguard and forwarded the boat’s position and phone number to the Turkish authorities. They seemed to be already informed and refused to promise to us that they would rescue the boat. However, in the following 20 minutes, several contact persons informed us that the boat in distress might have been rescued. Finally, at 7am, the initial contact person confirmed to us, that the boat had returned and reached the Turkish coast independently.

At about 7.30am several contact persons forwarded a phone number and GPS coordinates of a boat to us, which was close to the island of Lesvos, but not in urgent distress (case 4). We tried to call the travellers directly several times, but did not reach them. At 7.40am, we learned that the boat was still moving and at 7.55am the travellers told us that they were close to Mytilene. Finally, at 10.30am the travellers wrote to us via WhatsApp that they had safely arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos.

At 9.17am the Alarm Phone was informed about a boat with 35 travellers on board, which had run out of fuel in Turkish territorial waters east of the Greek island of Lesvos (case 5). We tried to call the travellers directly several times in order to ask them if we should alert the Turkish coastguard, but we did not reach them. However, at 9.30am, the travellers sent us their latest GPS position, which showed that they had not moved anymore since we had been alerted. At 9.33am one of our contact persons informed us, that he had already called the Turkish coastguard and that they would rescue the boat. We decided not to get active beyond that, and at 10.27am the same contact persons confirmed to us that the Turkish coastguard had indeed rescued the boat.

In the late evening of that day, at 11pm, the Alarm Phone was informed about a group of 50 travellers, who had stranded on the Greek island of Pasas (case 6). At 11.12pm we were able to speak directly to the stranded travellers. They were very calm and had already been informed by the local military that they had to spend the night at the island and that they would be picked up only at the next morning. At 11.30pm we called the port authorities on Chios and asked if they had already been informed about the group on Pasas. They confirmed to be aware of this group, but they were not able to tell us when they would be picked up. On the next morning, we sent a WhatsApp message to the travellers, asking if they had been rescued. We did not receive an answer. However, at about midday, we were able to speak to them again and learned that they had been rescued and had already arrived on the Greek island of Chios.