Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 13th February 2021
Case name: 2021_02_13-WM568
Situation: 38 travellers in distress on their way to Almeria, rescued by Salvamento Maritimo and brought to mainland Spain.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean

Summary:
On Saturday the 13th of February at 17.30 CET, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 38 travellers in distress in the Alboran Sea on a rubber boat. The travellers had left at 05.00 CET the same morning from a beach close to Nador and were heading towards Almeria. We immediately sent an email to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo (SM), forwarding all the information we had about the boat. At 18.30 CET we called Salvamento Maritimo, who informed us that they were searching for the boat but had no results so far. In the meantime, we constantly tried to reach the travellers on several phone numbers we had received from the relative, but we never managed to establish a direct contact. At 22.55 CET we received a position from the relative, showing that the travellers were close to the Spanish coast, near Roquetas del Mar. We immediately forwarded this position to SM. Just after midnight we received an updated position, which we likewise sent to SM. At 00.17 CET we spoke to SM again, and they confirmed that they were still searching for the travellers, but had not found them at the first position we provided. At 01.11 CET we again received a position, and when we called SM at 01.17 CET, they could inform us that they had localised the boat and that a rescue vessel would arrive within an hour. At 02.19 CET the relative confirmed to us that the travellers had been rescued and were onboard the SM rescue vessel.