Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th January 2022

Case name: 2021_01_07-ATL004

Situation: 62 travellers in distress in the Atlantic Sea, so far we have not been able to find out what happened to them.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Atlantic Sea

Summary: On Friday the 7th of January 2022 just before midnight, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group with more than 50 travellers, among them 21 women and eight children, in distress in the Atlantic Sea. The travellers had left two days before from Tarfaya on a rubber boat, heading towards the Canary Islands. We were not able to reach the travellers directly, but immediately forwarded all information we had to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo. They told us that they were already searching for a boat matching this description, so far without success. The Moroccan rescue authorities also confirmed that they were searching in the area, but that they had also not been able to localize the boat. Throughout the following days we stayed in contact with relatives and with the authorities who continued their search, trying to find out what had happened to the travellers. Despite trying many times, we were never able to reach the travellers directly. During the following many days we learned of both interceptions, rescues to Spain and people gone missing or dying during the journey. We were not able to establish with certainty what happened to this group of travellers. If we manage to get more information, we will update this report.

Tweets: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1480184533995696128
https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1480535456790032384