Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 27th September 2021

Case name: 2021_09_27-CM578

Situation:Four travellers in distress in the Central Med, intercepted by the Algerian coastguard and brought back to Algeria.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the case: On Monday the 27th of September the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of four travellers in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea. The travellers had left two days earlier at around 04.00 CEST from Algeria on a small fiber glass boat. The relative informed us that the travellers did not carry a satellite phone with them, meaning that once they were out of normal phone reception they would no longer be reachable. It was therefore also not possible to obtain their GPS position. The relative told us that he had not spoken to his brother on the boat since they departed. Our shift team attempted several times to reach the mobile phone number provided of the travellers but was never able to establish a direct contact to the boat. We immediately informed all relevant rescue authorities, as we feared for the travellers safety being at sea for more than 48 hours. We asked the Italian coastguard several times via email and phone whether they knew of any rescue operation of a boat matching the description of this case, but never got an answer. In the evening, however, the relative told us that they had been in contact with their brother. The boat had been intercepted by the Algerian coastguard and the travellers were still at the police station at this point.