Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 20th of October 2017

Case name: 2017_10_20-WM169
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to emergency situation in the Western Med
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Friday the 20th of October 2017, at 3.26am, our Alarm Phone shift team was contacted by a family member in Morocco about a boat in distress, carrying 22 people, including 2 infants, 5 women and 15 men. They had left from Beni Ensar and were now close to Melilla. Their engine had broken down and we also received a number of one of the boat-people. Minutes later, we called the boat and they confirmed the information and added that they needed help and were able to see the lights of Melilla. They were unable to forward their precise GPS position.

At 3.47am, we reached out to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo in Almeria and they had already received information about this case. In a phone call with the boat-people at 3.56am, they stated that they could not see any vessels in their vicinity. At 4.31am, Salvamento Maritimo reached out to us, stating that they had offered to the Moroccan authorities to send out a helicopter to search for the boat. Following their account, the boat was still in Moroccan waters. At 4.40am, the Moroccan Navy confirmed to us that they were about to give permission for the Spanish rescue operation by helicopter.

At 4.42am we spoke to the boat-people and urged them to remain calm and await rescue. Shortly after, the Spanish authorities confirmed that they were launching the helicopter, stating that it would however be necessary for the Moroccan Navy to also send a rescue vessel. Nonetheless, at 5.31am and at 6.01am, they informed us that they were still waiting for the ‘go ahead’ from the Moroccan side. At 6.28am Salvamento Maritimo said that they would not send a helicopter until the Moroccan authorities would send a rescue vessel. In turn, the Moroccan authorities told our shift team that they would only send out a boat when the sun was rising. At 6.50pm, Salvamento Maritimo said that they would contact the Moroccan side again, and were not willing to send out one of their rescue boats.

At 7.22am, the boat-people stated that they could see a helicopter but that it had not spotted them yet. Their engine was still broken. At 7.30am, we informed the Spanish authorities about what the boat-people had reported. The officer informed us that this was not their helicopter and the Moroccans were reluctant to send out their rescue vessel. Salvamento Maritimo would send out a small boat to monitor the situation and intervene if necessary. At 8.01am, the helicopter was up in the air, near Melilla. At 8.12am, the people on the boat stated that they could not see the helicopter and no vessel in the vicinity. At 8.40am, Salvamento Maritimo said that they had been able to speak to the boat-people and they confirmed that they had seen the helicopter. They hoped to find them in the following 20-30 minutes.

At 9.18am, the boat-people were still not rescued and at 9.32am they stated that they could not see the helicopter. At 10.19am, the helicopter returned to Almeria and at 10.35am, Salvamento Maritimo asked for further information about what the people could see around them. At 11.02am, our initial contact person informed us that they had been detected by the Moroccan Navy. It was then confirmed to us that boat-people had been returned to Morocco.