Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 14th August 2022

Case name: 2022_08_14-ATL089

Situation: 55 travellers in distress in the Atlantic Ocean, 36 were picked up by the Moroccan navy, while the remaining 19 people are still missing.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean

Summary of the case: On Sunday the 14th of August the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 55 travellers, 42 men, 13 women and a child, in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The travellers had left from Tan Tan the previous morning at around 04.00 CEST on a blue rubber boat. We were not able to establish direct contact to the boat despite trying countless times, but relayed all the information we had to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo. Salvamento Maritimo confirmed that they were searching for the boat. The following day the search went on without further results.
The following morning the relative informed us that the travellers were still at sea, as they had talked to the boat. However, we continued to be unable to reach them. At 14.40 CEST we called the Moroccan rescue authorities. They told us that they had picked up the survivors from this boat. The officer said that they had rescued 30 men and six women, and that the rest had drowned. 19 people therefore remain missing after this tragedy. All our solidarity is with the friends and families of those who lost their life in the attempt to cross to Europe, and with those intercepted who had to endure this traumatic experience only to be brought back to what they were trying to leave.

Tweets about the case: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1559192544889683971