Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigation – 2nd/3rd of May 2015

Case name: 2015_05_2/3-CM15
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 7 vessels in distress, carrying hundreds of people
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of Libya

Summary of the Case: On Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of May, our Alarm Phone shift teams were alerted to 7 vessels in distress, all located in the Central Mediterranean Sea, north of Libya. Over the weekend, contact to 6 of these vessels could be established. Several other vessels were also in distress near the coast of Libya and approximately 15 people died in their attempt to cross the sea (source 1). Our shift teams clearly noted the many important rescue efforts that were undertaken especially by Italian coastguards and merchant vessels. It, nonetheless, became starkly obvious that only insufficient rescue capacities existed to conduct the large rescue operations needed in the Central Mediterranean Sea over the weekend. Several vessels that our shift teams were in direct contact with could not be rescued for several hours despite knowledge of their location – a highly dangerous situation for the people in need and a clear indication that the resources and means for rescue missions were entirely inadequate. Clearly, even after more than 1700 deaths in the first few months of this year alone, European leaders remain committed to their policies of deterrence, unwilling to provide the urgently needed means. We demand the immediate deployment of large-scale rescue facilities in the Mediterranean Sea as well as the opening of legal and safe possibilities of entry into Europe.

On Saturday, the Alarm Phone was alerted in the morning by Father Mussie Zerai to a vessel in distress carrying approximately 350 passengers from Syria and Eritrea, including about 100 women and 20 children (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 1’). They had left Libya in a wooden fishing vessel and were in a situation of distress. Father Zerai was in direct contact with them and had received their satellite phone number as well as the position of their vessel. At first, Father Zerai said that he would be in charge of this case.

In the early afternoon, our shift team received a call from another vessel in distress (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 2’). Communication was difficult and eventually broke down so that the passengers could not be reached anymore. The shift team contacted the MRCC Rome and passed on the received satellite phone number. The Italian authorities were cooperative and told our team to keep them updated.

In the early evening, our shift team was contacted again by Father Zerai who notified us about another case of distress. He had already informed the Maltese and Italian authorities but needed the assistance of the Alarm Phone. On one of the vessels (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 3’) there were approximately 300 people from the Horn of Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia on a wooden vessel. They stated that they were in danger and needed to be rescued. Our shift team spoke to them and was told that they had left Libya in the morning of the previous day and were now without food and water. We received their new coordinates and passed them on to the MRCC Rome. In the following hours, contact to the passengers was lost.

In the evening our shift team was alerted by Father Zerai to yet another emergency situation in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Approximately 650 people had left Libya on a wooden vessel in the early hours of the morning (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 4’). They were mainly from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Syria, including many women and children. Father Zerai had notified the relevant authorities already. While an initial contact to the passengers could be established, it broke down before our shift team could collect important information. Contact could not be re-established.

Throughout the day, our shift team also to get in contact with vessel 1. We were able to continuously re-charge their satellite phone with credit, allowing them to make further calls. Our Alarm Phone was also contacted from England and Germany by relatives who had family members travelling on some of these boats and who asked for information.

On the Sunday the 3rd of May, the Alarm Phone received a message from Father Zerai concerning another vessel in distress (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 5’). Initial contact to the passengers could not be established so we passed on the number to the MRCC Rome and also notified RCC Malta, MOAS and the UNHCR. A few hours later our shift team was able to speak to the passengers and was informed that they had problems with their water pump. The passengers passed on their current position and stated that more water was entering their vessel. In a phone conversation, MRCC Rome confirmed that they knew about this particular vessel and were in the process of searching for it. In later exchanges with the passengers we were informed that there were more than 400 passengers on board, including many women.

Around noon, we received information about two more vessels from Father Zerai. Our shift team spoke to passengers of one of the vessels (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 6’) and was informed about their position and that they had already notified the coastguard themselves. Again, our shift team passed on the information to the Italian authorities. In further exchanges we informed the passengers to prepare for rescue. We asked our contact person to spread the advice amongst the passengers that everyone would need to stay calm and seated when approached by the rescue services. They also provided us with their updated positon. In the afternoon, the passengers told our shift team that they had seen a vessel in vicinity and, later on, that their engine had stopped working due to overheating. In the late evening, we reached the passengers again and were told that they had still not been rescued. We contacted the Italian authorities once again. The other vessel (henceforth referred to as ‘vessel 7’) could not be reached. In the late evening MRCC Rome confirmed to our shift team that a Maltese patrol boat and a merchant vessel had reached vessel 6.

In the meantime, our shift team sought to re-establish contact to all the different vessels but contact was lost. Fortunately, still in the evening of the 3rd of May, we received news about the vessels in question: all vessels were either already rescued or in the process of being rescued. And, on Monday the 4th, we were informed that all passengers on the seven vessels that we were alerted to, had been rescued.