Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations - 08th-13th of July 2015

Case name: 2015_07_08/13-WM29
Situation: Vessel with 34 travellers on board disappeared in the Western Mediterranean Sea; found and rescued six days later
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Western Mediterranean Sea, between Boujdour/Morocco and the Canary Islands/Spain

Summary of the Cases: In the night from Friday the 10th to Saturday the 11th of July, one Alarm Phone member was informed by a contact person in Morocco of a vessel that had left from Boujdour already on the 8th of July and sought to reach the Canary Islands. He only knew that the vessel was carrying men, women and children but could not provide us with further details. At about 2pm on Saturday, we received further information: There were about 34 people on board, including 4 women, who had left on Tuesday around midnight from Boujdour.

Our shift team reached out to the Spanish rescue agency Salvamento Maritimo in Palmas who stated that it was the third day of a search and rescue operation for a boat carrying about 34 people in the same area of the Western Mediterranean Sea. It seemed highly likely that this was the vessel in question. Salvamento Maritimo informed us that a helicopter was searching the area, up to that point without any success. They said that they were not certain how long the search would be continued due to difficult weather conditions and the long time the vessel had already been missing for. At about 3:45pm, the shift team also informed the Moroccan coastguards who knew about the vessel and said that they would continue with their search as well. A few minutes later, Salvamento Maritimo informed us that both Spanish and Moroccan authorities were searching for the travellers even though a decision would soon be reached on whether to halt the search and rescue operation or not.

Our shift team then informed the public and tweeted about the disappeared travellers and the unsuccessful rescue efforts, also in order to pressurise authorities to continue with their search. Our initial contact person then passed on a number of one of the passenger who, however, could not be reached. The number was then also passed on to Salvamento Maritimo in the evening who were not able to localise the device. They confirmed that they would continue with the search the following day, despite rough weather conditions.

A day later, on the 12th of July, rescue forces of Salvamento Maritimo were still searching for the missing vessel. Our contact person contacted us again in the afternoon, longing to receive any news about the whereabouts and well-being of the travellers. In the evening, there was still no sign of their vessel, despite continuing rescue efforts.

Our shift teams were anxiously waiting for any news about the missing vessel and another tragedy in the Western Mediterranean Sea seemed to unfold – too long were the travellers missing at sea, in particularly difficult weather conditions.

But then, finally, on the 13th of July in the early afternoon, we received the news that Salvamento Maritimo had localised the vessel with 34 people on board between Boujdour and the Canary Islands. The rescue operation was then still ongoing, about 17 miles off the coast of Gran Canaria, and we were told that they would be disembarked there. In the evening, Salvamento Maritimo on the Canary Islands confirmed the rescue of all 34 travellers (see sources 1-5). They were all alive! One person had to be brought to hospital and a pregnant woman to a medical centre. We from the Alarm Phone are indeed very relieved and hope that the travellers are recovering from their journey quickly.