Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 31st May 2022Case name: 2022_05_31-ATL055
Situation: 66 travellers in distress in the Atlantic Ocean, intercepted by the Moroccan navy and brought to Tan Tan.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean
Summary of the case: On Tuesday the 31st of May 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 66 travellers, including 16 women and seven children, in distress in the Altantic Ocean. The travellers had left from Guelmim on a rubber boat and were heading towards Lanzarote. We managed to reach the travellers who told us that they were in urgent distress as their boat was deflating and water was entering. We could hear on the phone that they were panicking. We managed to get their GPS position and immediately alerted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo, relaying all the information we had. We stayed in contact with the travellers and could hear the situation deteriorating and they told us that they would all die. We relayed their updated GPS position to Salvamento Maritimo and the Moroccan search and rescue authorities as often as possible. At 22.45 CEST the travellers reported to us that five people had fallen overboard. At 23.12 CEST another two people had fallen overboard. We relayed this to the authorities. At 23.44 CEST the travellers told us that a white fishing vessel was nearby. At 02.05 CEST the Moroccan rescue authorities confirmed to us that a vessel from the Moroccan navy had been sent towards the last known position of the travellers one hour ago. At 04.00 CEST the travellers had still not been found by the Moroccan navy, but the rescue coordination centre told us that their vessel was in the area, searching. After this, we lost contact to the travellers. At 05.18 CEST the Moroccan rescue authorities informed us that the navy had reached the travellers and that a rescue operation was ongoing. Later in the day we learned that all the travellers had been picked up by the Moroccan navy and brought to Tan Tan.
Last update: 11:27 Aug 07, 2023
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