Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations 5th and 6th of August 2015

Case name: 2015_08_06-WM38
Situation: Two vessels in distress in Western Med, intercepted by Moroccan Navy
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco

Summary of the Cases: On Thursday the 6th of August 2015, in the morning, the Alarm Phone was contacted by someone who informed us about a vessel in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. They had left hours earlier from Cap Spartel/Morocco and we received one of the travellers’ phone numbers. Our shift team contacted them and they said there were 9 men, 2 women and 2 children on board who were now able to see a vessel near them. The Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo had already obtained the number of the passengers and informed us that the Moroccan Navy was in the process of approaching them. We later received the confirmation also from the travellers.

We were then notified about a second vessel with 11 men on board that had left from Tangier in the night. Our contact person also knew of this second vessel and passed on a mobile phone number. We called the travellers and they asked to be rescued by Salvamento Maritimo. However, when we spoke to Salvamento minutes later, they confirmed that the group had just been intercepted by the Moroccan Navy. We then also informed our contact person about the second interception.