Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 10th July 2022

Case name: 2022_10_08-ATL066

Situation: 52 travellers in distress in the Atlantic, intercepted by the Moroccan navy.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean

Summary of the case: On Sunday the 10th of July 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 52 travellers, including six women and a baby, in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The travellers had left from Akhfennir in the early hours of the morning, travelling on a rubber boat. We alerted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo to the distress of the travellers, forwarding all the information we had. We managed to reach the boat and although the connection was poor we got their GPS position, which we additionally forwarded to Salvamento Maritimo. In a later call to the travellers, they told us that the baby onboard was sick and had not had anything to eat since the previous day and that the wind was strong.


We stayed in touch with the boat and were able to follow as the situation onboard deteriorated with water entering the boat and the engine breaking. We were able to get updated GPS positions from the travellers, and continued to update the authorities about their situation and whereabouts. Just before midnight, the Spanish authorities told us that the Moroccan rescue authorities were responsible for organising the operation. We called the Moroccan rescue authorities, who confirmed that they were proceeding towards the last known position of the travellers. They also told us that a merchant vessel was standing by the travellers. At 02.30 CEST we received a GPS position from the boat, and forwarded this to Salvamento Maritimo. At 10.57 CEST we reached the travellers again. They told us the merchant vessel was still with them. During the day, we lost contact to the travellers, and the Moroccan rescue authorities did not respond to our inquiries about their ongoing rescue efforts. At 21.41 CEST Salvamento Maritimo informed us that the Moroccan navy had just intercepted a boat close to the last known position of the travellers. Many hours later, this was confirmed by the Moroccan rescue authorities.