Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 27th of December 2015

Case name: 2015_12_27-AEG169
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 6 distress cases in the Aegean Sea
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Sunday the 27th of December 2015, our Alarm Phone shift team was alerted to 6 emergency situations in the Aegean region. Two groups made it independently to Lesvos Island while another group was rescued by Greek coastguards near Samos Island. Two groups had stranded on different Greek islands (Ro and Pasas) and were later found and rescued by Greek coastguards. One group was in distress in Turkish waters and was rescued by Turkish authorities.

At 2.57am our shift team received a Facebook message, alerting us to a vessel near Lesvos in distress, carrying 35 people (case 1). Two informants notified us about the same case. When we reached the travellers at 3.03am they were calling out for help. At 3.06am we informed the Greek coastguards who took on the case. However, shortly afterwards our contact persons asked us to tell the coastguards to cancel their rescue operation as the engine had been re-ignited and the group was on its way to Lesvos. The Greek coastguards said that they were already nearby and would approach and monitor the vessel. At 3.42am one of the contact persons confirmed that they had safely arrived.

At 3.54am we received another distress message via Facebook, this time telling us about 60 people on a vessel moving toward Samos (case 2). We spoke to the travellers at 3.58am and they said that their engine had stopped working and they needed help. We informed the Greek coastguards and they took on the case. At 4.44am our initial contact person confirmed that the group had been rescued.

At 4.33am we were asked by a contact person to monitor a vessel with a group of Syrians on board that would shortly leave Turkey in order to reach Lesvos (case 3). We had been in contact with this group before in a previous border-crossing attempt that had failed. At 5.25am we were informed that the vessel carrying about 70 people, including many (pregnant) women and children, had left. At 7.22am our contact person confirmed that they had independently and safely arrived on Lesvos!

At 4.52am we received a WhatsApp message by a contact person who told us that 22 people, including children, had stranded on the small island of Ro and they were freezing and out of food (case 4). We informed the Port Authority of Kastellorizo and they said that they would send out a rescue vessel, presumably however only a few hours later. While one contact person confirmed the rescue of the group at 6.59am, we received another message at 9.19am from another person saying that the group was still on Ro. At 10.07am the Port Authority of Kastellorizo confirmed that they would arrive shortly. In the early evening we received a final confirmation that the group had been found and rescued.

At 6.35am we received another case via WhatsApp, this time concerning a group of 60 people on a vessel close to Palios/Lesvos but in Turkish waters (case 5). When we could not reach the group directly we asked the contact person whether the travellers would want us to alert the coastguards. At 6.57am our contact person said that the travellers could see a Turkish coastguard vessel approaching them. At 7.21am we received the information that a rescue operation was launched. Hours later, at about 1.40pm, their rescue and return to Turkey was confirmed.

At 10.50am a contact person sent a Facebook message in which we were told about a group of 50 people who had stranded on Pasas Island and needed support (case 6). We briefly spoke to the travellers on the island and then contacted the Chios Port Authority who told us to ask the group to call the international emergency number 112. At 1.42pm we learned that the Greek coastguards had reached Pasas and at 2.30pm the rescue of the group was confirmed.