Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations –31th of July 2018

Case name: 2018_07_31-WM302
Situation: 6 boats from Cap Spartel, 2 rescued to Spain, 3 intercepted to Morocco, 1 unverified
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On Tuesday, 31st of July 2018, we were alerted to 6 boats in distress in the Western Mediterranean. 2 boats were eventually rescued to Spain, 3 have been intercepted by the Moroccan navy and for 1 boat we lack the rescue confirmation. We were alerted to a seventh boat but couldn’t establish a connection to the travellers. Later we learnt they had been intercepted by the Moroccan navy.

Case 1: At 7:20am CEST we were alerted to a boat in distress from Cap Spartel towards Spain, carrying 12 people. At 8:10am we managed to receive a GPS position of the boat that we then passed to the Spanish rescue authority Salvamento Marítimo at 8:13am. As the situation was getting more urgent, we informed also MRCC Rabat via call end email at 9:14am. At 10:31am the travellers informed us that they had been picked up by the Moroccan Marine Royale.

Case 2: At 8:10am CEST we were informed about a boat in distress, carrying 13 people, among them one woman. We called the boat and received the GPS position. We passed it on to Salvamento Marítimo at 9:15am via email. We stayed in contact with the boat that informed us that the situation was getting critical as water was entering the boat and people were sick. At 10:00am we called the Moroccan Marine Royale that refused to take our information. We received a new position of the boat at 11:57am, they were still at sea. We hence called MRCC Rabat again and this time the officer took the information. We wrote an email as well with all relevant information to the respective Spanish and Moroccan authorities. MRCC Madrid answered shortly after that they had informed the Moroccan authorities. At 2:07pm we received a new position of the boat that was still not rescued. At 2:20pm we called MRCC Rabat again but couldn’t find out the status of the rescue operation. We continuously stayed in contact with the boat on different numbers and received updated GPS positions that we passed to Salvamento eventually, demanding them to act as the Moroccan authorities had not send any assistance. Finally, at 4:38pm, our contact person confirmed that the people had been rescued to Spain.

Case 3: At 8:32am CEST we were alerted to a boat from Cap Spartel with 11 travellers on board, among them 3 women. They had left towards Spain at 1am local time. We tried to establish a connection to the boat. Only at 2:23pm we managed to speak to the travellers and received an updated position that we passed immediately to the Spanish rescue authority. Afterwards we couldn’t establish a connection to the boat anymore. At 5:10pm the contact person confirmed that the boat had been rescued to Spain.

Case 4: At 8:48am CEST we were alerted by a contact person to a boat carrying 13 people, among them 4 women and 3 children. They had left from Cap Spartel at 1am local time. At 9:30am we managed to reach the boat. In the following hours, we tried to receive their GPS position. At 12:39am they informed us that they had been intercepted by the Moroccan Marine Royale and they had been brought to a police station.


Case 5: At 3:14pm CEST we were called by travellers on a boat that had left from Cap Spartel. They were 12 people, among them 3 women. They had problems sending their GPS position. In the following hours we tried to reach them and to explain how to send the position. We couldn’t reach the boat anymore and cannot verify if they were rescued to Spain or Morocco.


Case 6: At 3:30pm we received a call from a boat with 12 people, among them 2 women, that had left from Cap Spartel. In the following hours, we tried to receive a GPS position from the boat. At 4:45pm the travellers informed us that they had been intercepted by the Moroccan Marine Royale.