Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 28th of August 2020

Case name: 20200828-CM289

Situation: Louise Michel rescued 130 travellers who had been at sea for days and became also a distress case while Malta denied any assistance

Status of WTM Investigation: concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:

On 28th August 2020 at 15.04h CEST the Alarm Phone was called by a man who told us that his wife and his children were in distress on a boat in the Central Mediterranean Sea. We called the boat and learned there were 130 people on board of a rubber boat who had departed from Libya, among them 20 women and 5 children. After some attempts we got their GPS position and informed the authorities of Malta and Italy via email at 17.20h CEST and additionally the nearby assets of NGOs: Louise Michel (LM), Moonbird (MB) and Astral (sailing vessel of Open arms). LM and Astral then set course to the distress case and MB reported to have spotted the boat in the Maltese SAR zone and updated the position. At 17.52h CEST MB also wrote an email to the authorities and explained the urgency of the distress, as they had seen the boat already taking in water and the engine was not working properly anymore. However, RCC Malta did not reply nor react. At least coast guard of Lampedusa acknowledged the mayday LM released at 17.40h CEST. We stayed all time in contact with the boat and got updates of their position which we forwarded to authorities and NGOs. At 19.05h CEST LM stated to have visuals with the boat in distress. They had already people on board from another rescue operation and no capacity to take all people from this case on board, but they wanted to distribute life-vests. We phoned the people on board and informed them. When LM arrived at the boat they recognized a dead body on board and the severe health situation of the people who were already 3 days at sea. They had fuel burns and suffered from dehydration and exhaustion.

Although the distress was happening in Maltese SAR zone and LM emphasized to not have capacities for a safe evacuation of the people, RCC Malta’s reaction at 00.45h CEST was to request the confirmation of the rescue of all the people on board of LM. LM decided to take 76 persons on board and provided two life rafts for the remaining persons and attached them to their vessel, as well as the rubber boat with the deceased person. At 02.45h CEST, 29th of August: LM had to declare to be incapable to maneuver and became herself a distress case but no Maltese coast guard was coming for rescue. At 10.43h CEST we got informed that the Sea-Watch 4 was heading towards the scene to provide assistance. RCC Malta instructed them to evacuate all people on board from LM and the life rafts which happened in the end around 18h CEST. 49 vulnerable persons and the dead person were transshipped to Lampedusa by the Italian coastguard.