Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 19th of February 2020
Case name: 2020_02_19-CM232
Situation: Two groups of travellers fleeing Libya, rescued by civil search and rescue NGOs., and one boat returning on their own
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday the 19th of February the Alarm Phone shift team was contacted by two groups of travellers in distress in the central Mediterranean Sea. The first boat, carrying 48 travellers, was rescued by Sea Watch 3. The second boat, carrying around 85 people, was rescued by Ocean Viking. However, the group of 48 travellers informed us that they had set off from Libya together with another boat carrying 100 travellers, which they had lost of sight. We were never able to establish what had happened to these travellers, but hope that they have reached safety.
The same morning we were alerted by a relative to a group of travellers, who turned out to have returned to Libya on their own due to bad conditions on the boat.


At 7:19h our Alarm Phone team got a phone call from a boat carrying 121 people. They informed us that they had set off at 23.00h the previous night from Zawiya together with another boat carrying 100 people, including 10 children. They had lost sight of the other boat. The travellers were worried because the weather was bad, water was entering the boat, and they had little battery left. We sent an email to the so-called Libyan Coast Guard about the distress call as well as to the competent MRCC and NGO's.
At 08:08h, Sea Watch 3 answered our mail saying that they would respond to the distress case.
We kept the contact with the boat. At 09:00h the boat called us. The person on the phone said that they could see a ship. We explained how to stay save during the rescue.
At 9:26h we received a mail from Sea Watch3 saying that the their rescue assets made an assessment of the boat in distress. Due to the conditions of the boat they would start with evacuation.
At 15:35h we got an email from Sea Watch 3 informing us that they had completed the embarkation of 121 people on board, of which 8 children and 19 women. The travellers were exhausted, dehydrated, hypothermic and seasick.
Once on scene, the fast rescue boats made an assessment of the situation and confirmed the distress case, due to the following detected factors: Overcrowding, unseaworthy rubber boat, lack of fuel to reach a safe port, lack of (sufficient) food or water supplies on board, no life saving equipment, and the fact that there was no competent person in charge of the vessel and no navigational equipment on board.
However, we were not able to find out what happened to the 100 travellers who set off with this group.

In the morning our shift team was also contacted by a group of 85 travellers, including 8 children. The connection was bad and was interrupted. Despite the bad connection, in a few calls our team was able to understand that the travelers were asking for help, saying they could not go on it much longer. Some of them had life vests. They were getting more and more desperate. We asked for a GPS position which they managed to send us at 7:29h. We sent an email to the co-called Libyan Coast Guard about the distress call as well as to the competent MRCC and NGO's.
At 10:04h we received a mail from Ocean Viking saying that they passed the last known position and did not see any other vessel in the area. They had altered course and were proceeding to search North of the position. They were standing by for any additional information or updated positions. They tried to contact JRCC Tripoli multiple times by phone and email but had no response. They also asked MRCC Italy to try and contact JRCC Tripoli for further information.
Our shift team had several calls with the travellers but communication was hard, and they were panicking.
At 12:45h we got an email from Ocean Viking informing us that the rescue was complete. All survivors were safely onboard and being cared for by the medical team.


In the morning, our shift team received a call from a relative, informing us about a boat with 65ppl. They left from Sabratha at 1:00h. The relative could provide us the following information: There were 4 women and 2 children on board.
At 11:35h the relative told us that people returned to Libya because the weather was bad and there was water inside the boat. After some confusion about the number of persons on board and the place of departure, the relative finally confirmed to us at around 13:50h that the boat which came back to Lybia was the one with 65ppl who left from Sabratha in the morning. He had this information directly from the travellers.