Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigation – 8th of June 2015

Case name: 2015_06_08-CM24
Situation: Vessel in distress in Libyan waters, rescued
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea, Libya

Summary of the Case: On Monday the 8th of June 2015, at about 11am, our Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a friend who had received an emergency call from the Central Mediterranean Sea. A vessel had left Libya with many women and children on board but its exact position was unknown. Our friend passed on a satellite phone number which, however, was busy so that the passengers could not be reached.

At around noon, our friend reported that the engine of the vessel had stopped working. We then reached out to the Maltese coastguard who was not aware of the distress case and we also informed the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rome, the UNHCR and MSF by email. Several attempts to reach MRCC Rome by phone failed as they hung up on us until, finally, we were able to find someone willing to cooperate. He had no knowledge of the vessel in question and reported that MRCC Rome was working on several cases.

Afterwards, MRCC Rome once again stopped answering our phone calls. However, the Maltese coastguards confirmed that MRCC Rome had ordered a vessel in vicinity to direct itself to the vessel in distress. At 2pm, MRCC Rome confirmed that they had successfully located the vessel and directed the cargo vessel MSC Belle to it. MSC Belle confirmed sight of two rubber vessels in the said location. MRCC Rome then sent the patrol vessel Dattilo to the area of distress.

At around 7pm, MRCC Rome confirmed that all rescue operations had been successfully concluded.