Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 25th June 2021
Case name: 2021_06_25-CM482
Situation: 20 travellers in distress in the Central Med rescued by the Italian coastguard inside Maltese search and rescue zone and brought to Lampedusa.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the case:
On Friday the 25th of June 2021, the Alarm Phone shift team was called by a group of travellers in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea. They told us that they were 20 people, including three children, who had left from Zuwarah, Libya, the previous day at 23.00 CEST. Their boat was still moving but had little fuel left, and it had started taking in water and the travellers were panicking as night was coming. The position we received from the travellers showed that they were in the Maltese search and rescue zone. At 19.32 CEST we sent an email to all relevant authorities alerting them to the urgent distress of the travellers. Throughout the whole night and the following morning, our shift team stayed in close contact with the travellers and updated the rescue authorities with updated GPS positions of the boat as well as information about the deteriorating conditions. As we spotted two merchant vessels close to the position of the travellers, we sent an email urging the Maltese coastguard as the coordinating rescue authority to coordinate rescue with one of those vessels. At 07.44 CEST the travellers told us in a phone call that their engine was no longer working and they were adrift. At 08.05 we tweeted:
ELEVEN HOURS OF NON-ASSITANCE IN MALTA SAR! The 20 people in distress are still calling, tired, angry and in panic after surviving the night. Eleven hours after authorities were alerted, there is still no sign of rescue & they are abandoned at sea. RESCUE NOW @ArmedForcesMT
And at 10.20 we followed up with a tweet stating: The 20 people keep calling Alarm Phone. They could see an airplane above them and keep asking when rescue will come. They are really exhausted but we are unable to reassure them that they will be safe soon, because authorities are not responding to our calls. #DontLetThemDrown!
At 12.16 CEST we last spoke to the travellers on the phone. In this phone call they told us that they could see a white ship approaching. We guided them to remain calm and seated and follow the instructions of the crew onboard. Later in the afternoon we were relieved to learn that the travellers had finally been rescued by the Italian coastguard inside the Maltese search and rescue zone and had all arrived safely to Lampedusa.