Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th of August 2019
Case name: 2019_08_07-CM179
Situation: Boat in distress in the central Mediterranean Sea
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday 7th of August 2019, the Alarm Phone was alerted at 12.25h by a boat in distress off the coast of Libya, coming from Zawiya and carrying approximately 40 people. The boat was later intercepted by the so-called Libyan coastguards and brought to Tripoli in Libya.
At 13.07h, we informed the Maltese and Italian authorities to the distress situation. In our repeated conversations with the people on the boat, they stressed again and again how terrified they were about being returned to Libya. We were trying to receive their accurate GPS position but often received unclear positions. At 13.47h, they told us that they could see a platform nearby, presumably the El-Bouri oil platforms, as well as a red vessel. The NGO vessel Alan Kurdi of Sea-Eye was not far from that location and was available to conduct a search and rescue operation.
At 14.16h the people on board could see an airplane above them. At 14.37h they told us that there were 7 women on board, including a pregnant woman. There was also one infant on board. They were sick and in need of water. They had some petrol left but said that soon their engine would stop. Over the next few hours, we tried again and again to receive an accurate GPS position but could not reach the migrant travellers anymore.
Only the next day did we find out via the Libyan authorities that the boat had been intercepted by the so-called Libyan coastguards and brought to Tripoli in Libya. According to the Libyan authorities, there were 45 people on board, including 7 women and 1 child.