Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 23rd of September 2020
Case name: 20200923-WM486
Situation:10 travelers from Algeria were rescued to Spain by Spanish coastguard, from nearby Cartagena. 31 travelers started from Tazaghine, Morocco. Rescued to Motril by Salvamanto Marítimo.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Cases:

Case 1:
Around 3:00h CEST the night of Wednesday the 23rd of September, the Alarm Phone was alerted, by a relative of one of the travelers, to a boat in distress carrying 10 people including 2 women and 2 children. The travelers had left from Mostaganem in Algeria and were near Cartagena and they could see the lighthouse, they were also out of fuel. We tried to contact the travelers directly several times but the numbers were not reachable. At 04:15h our shift team called the Spanish Search and Rescue organization Salvamento Marítimo (SM) in Cartagena and explained the situation. The officer that answered the phone told us that they were already aware of the case and hung up on us. In the meantime we were also receiving calls from relatives of other travelers. At 05:26h in the morning we called back the SM in Cartagena, we were told that they were searching for the boat with a helicopter, but had not found them yet. We continuously tried to reach the travelers but unsuccessfully. After having seen on marine-traffic website that a Spanish Search and Rescue (SAR) vessel was heading to the location of the SAR helicopter, we called again the SM asking for updates, however they did not want to share any information. As we followed the search pattern of the Spanish SAR vessel, and saw that it was heading back to Cartagena. At 11:40h we again tried to get confirmation of the rescue operation from the SM in Cartagena, however they refused to give us any information. At 12:17h we sent an email to the central coordination center of SM, asking for confirmation of rescue. In the afternoon the SM still refused to give us any information. Later in the afternoon we were very relieved to hear from the two relatives of travelers with which we were in contact, that the travelers were safe in Spain. Nonetheless, there was a discrepancy in the outcomes we received from the relatives as one told us that his/her dear one was in Valencia with the Guardia civil, and the other claimed that his/her dear one was safe in Cartagena with the Red Cross.

Case 2:
On 23rd of September 2020 at 14:17h CEST, the Alarm Phone was informed about 30 travelers in distress by the relative of someone on the boat. They had departed with a grey and white rubber boat from Tazaghine, Morocco in the early morning hours and the relative was worried, because they lost contact. They passed us a phone number of the travelers but no GPS data. At 15:04h, we called the Spanish Search and Rescue organization Salvamento Marítimo (SM) in Almeria and forwarded the information. They informed us that there were many recues that day and said they would check if our case was among them. At 15:24h, we sent them the information via e-mail. At 15:46h, we talked to SM Almeria again and they said, regarding the time of departure, the boat could still be in Moroccan waters and they would inform Morocco but keep track on the case. The travelers could still not be reached. At 17:06h, SM Almeria called us and asked f we could collect details about the case, e.g. the nationalities of the travelers and the horsepower of the engine. We checked on this with the relative an forwarded the info to SM Almeria at 17:32h. They said they were still searching for them and would send out an airplane. At 19:40h, we asked SM Almeria for an update and learned that their airplane had spotted a boat with approximately 30 people. The colour of the boat also matched our case. At 21:58h, SM Almeria confirmed the rescue of 31 travelers in a rubber boat. They people were brought to Motril. The next morning, the relative also confirmed the rescue of the people.