Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 30th of October 2018
Case name: 2018_10_30-AEG451
Situation: 2 boats rescued by the Greek coast guard, one brought to Leros, one brought to Samos
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case: In the early hours of Tuesday the 30th of October our shift team was alerted to a boat on its way to Farmakonisi. The people on board were rescued by the Greek coast guard and brought to Leros. A few hours later were were alerted to another, very overcrowded boat between Chios and Samos. We were unable to establish direct contact with the boat, but it was rescued by the Greek coast guard and taken to Chios.
At 2.15am CET the Alarmphone shift team were alerted to a boat in distress carrying 39 people, including 14 children. From the GPS position we were provided, we saw that the boat was in Greek waters and travelling in the direction of Farmakonisi. At 2.36am we contacted the Greek coast guard and provided them with our most recent GPS coordinates of the boat. At 2:59am we received news from the contact person the that boat had been rescued by the Greek coast guard.
At 5:21am we were alerted to a boat carrying 60 people which was in a critical situation. From the GPS coordinates which were provided to us we were unclear as to whether the boat was in Turkish waters or not. After trying and failing to make contact with the boat, we contacted the Greek coast guard at 5:41am. At 6am we observed a suspected Frontex vessel heading towards the last known position of the boat, and at 6:31am we saw the vessel slow down, almost stopping, close to the position of the boat. At 6:48am the Greek coast guard contacted us telling us that they had found a boat. We later received confirmation that all 60 travellers had been rescued to Chios.