Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 23rd of August 2020

Case name: 2020-08-23-CM287
Situation: Approx. 100 travelers in distress in Libyan SAR zone, Louise Michel and Sea Watch provide assistance, people taken on board of Sea Watch 4.
Status of WTM Investigation: Confirmed
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On 23rd of August 2020 at 21:22h CEST, the Alarm Phone received a call from a group of 70 to 100 travelers in a white rubber boat in distress. They lacked food and water and had problems with their engine. Their GPS location was in the Libyan Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, approximately 35km south of the Maltese SAR zone. In several calls, we tried to confirm their GPS location, but the connection was too bad. At 21:55h, we sent an e-mail with the information we had to the Libyan, Maltese, and Italian authorities, including the Sea Watch and the Louise Michel. At 22:13h, Sea Watch responded to the e-mail, informing the authorities and us that their boat was proceeding towards the indicated position. Our shift team could not get through to the travelers. At 22:39h, the Louise Michel responded to the e-mail, informing the authorities and us, that they were also heading towards the boat in distress. At 02:00h, we could talk to the travelers again. They described to see a “big boat” in the distance. They were making light to attract their attention. We could not receive another GPS location. At 02:24h, we talked to them again. They could still see the boat. At 03:18h, they reported to still see the boat, but that no one was coming to their rescue. There were high waves, and much water entering their boat. At 03:35h, the travelers asked when rescue would come and started to become desperate. We tried to encourage them and said they should keep on making light. At 04:25h, the Louise Michel sent an e-mail to the authorities and us, reporting that they had spotted the travelers' boat and had distributed lifejackets. Due to the weather conditions, they could not embark them to their vessel and requested the assistance of an asset better able to assist. At 05:32h, the Sea Watch sent an e-mail, informing the authorities and us that they had arrived on scene and were launching their RIBs to investigate further. At 09:02h, the Sea Watch sent another e-mail, informing that they had taken onboard around 100 people from the white rubber boat. According to them, some people had suffered from fuel burns and the general health situation had been extremely exhausted, sea-sick and unstable. They were awaiting further instructions from the authorities on where to disembark the travelers.