Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 19th October 2022

Case name: 2022_10_19-ATL126

Situation: 45 travellers in distress in the Atlantic Ocean, rescued by local fishermen.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean

Summary of the case:On Wednesday the 19th of October 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of 45 travellers (23 men, 18 women and two children) in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The travellers had left from between Boujdour and Dakhla on a white and brown wooden boat the previous evening, heading towards Gran Canaria. We were not able to reach the travellers, but relayed all the information we had to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo shortly after midnight. Later in the morning, Salvamento Maritimo told us that they were preparing a search operation for the boat. Hours later, Salvamento Maritimo was still searching with an aircraft, and in the afternoon they told us that they had not found the boat. Throughout the evening and following night we were not able to get any news about the travellers. Later in the day Salvamento Maritimo informed us that they were still searching with an aircraft but had no news. Only in the afternoon of the 21st of October did we learn from the relative that the travellers had been rescued by local fishers. We reached the travellers who were onboard the fishing vessel and told us they were being brought back to Morocco. They were all safe.