Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 31st August 2022

Case name: 2022_08_31-ATL093

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 Wednesday the 31st of August 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 52 travellers, including nine women and two children, in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The travellers had left from Tan Tan the previous afternoon at 16.00 CEST on a red and white rubber boat. The relative gave us the position of the travellers and told us that the boat was broken from two sides and that the travellers were in urgent distress. We were not able to reach the boat ourselves, but immediately relayed the informations we had to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo. An hour later, we managed to reach the travellers. We could hear that they were panicking. They told us that their engine was broken and that water was entering the boat. They were exhausted and had run out of food and water. Two hours later we spoke to them again. They told us that more water was entering the boat and that a woman had fainted. We updated Salvamento Maritimo with their new position and the information about the situation onboard. Two hours later, Salvamento Maritimo informed us that a nearby merchant vessel would stand by until rescue could arrive. The travellers soon after confirmed that they were accompanied by the merchant vessel. We later learned that the travellers had been intercepted by the Moroccan navy.