Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 26th of October 2015

Case name: 2015_10_26-AEG110
Situation: Traveller died after delayed rescue on the Greek islands of Agathonisi, 10 boats in distress rescued near Lesvos, Chios and Samos
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Monday the 26th of October 2015 the Alarm Phone dealt with a total of 11 emergency situations in the Aegean Sea. One traveller died after he and his group had stranded on the Greek islands of Agathonisi. The Greek coastguard rescued 6 boats in distress near Lesvos, Chios and Samos. Two groups of travellers arrived in Greece on their own and two were returned back to Turkey by the Turkish coastguard.

At 0.30am a contact person informed us about a group of 23 travellers who had stranded on the Greek island of Agathonisi, among them 5 women, 3 children and one injured man who had lost consciousness (case 1). While establishing contact to the group was difficult in the beginning, with the help of an Arabic translator we were eventually able talk to the group directly at 1.50am. They confirmed the information we had received from our contact person and stated that they were in urgent need of medical assistance. They had already called the international emergency number 112 but no one had answered. Immediately afterwards, we alerted the port police on Agathonisi and on Patmos, who both refused to take notice of our information, because they were either not able to speak English or did not feel responsible for this case. Afterwards, we also informed the Greek police and the UNHCR in Greece via mail about the group in distress. In a call to the Greek police on Agathonisi we were told that they had already sent someone in order to rescue the group. During the following hours we continuously tried to get further information from several Greek authorities, among them the port authorities on Agathonisi and Patmos and the police on Agathonisi and Samos, but in most of the cases they did not reply or hang up promptly. However, at 8.20am the port authorities on Agathonisi told us, that they would send someone in order to rescue the group. At 9am we learned from another contact person who had talked directly to the travellers that the group was still on the same place and no help had arrived so far. We called the Agathonisi police station again and were told that they know about the group. At 11am another contact person informed us that someone had arrived at the group’s location and had evacuated one person, while the rest of the group was still waiting for help. At 11.20am, in another call to the police station on Agathonisi, we were told that the evacuation of the rest of the group had started. In the evening one of our contact persons and the travellers themselves informed us that they had been rescued but that the injured person had died in hospital.

On the same day at 2.20am a contact person informed us about a boat in distress between Ismis/Turkey and the Greek island of Lesvos (case 2). Being exposed to heavy wind and high waves, water was already entering the boat. We received a phone number of the travellers on board but were neither able to reach them nor to find out about their current position. At 9.15am we talked again to the contact person and learned that the travellers were back in Turkey.

At about 5am we were alerted to two boats in distress between Çeşme/Turkey and the Greek island of Chios with 43 and 50 travellers on board respectively (cases 3 + 4). We reached the first boat via WhatsApp and learned that their engine had stopped working, but that they are moving in the direction of Chios, due to the strong currents. We called the Greek coastguard in Piraeus at 5.50am and forwarded all our information. At 6.10am we were also able to speak directly to the travellers of the second boat and learned that they were exposed to very high waves and that waters was entering their boat as well. At 6.30 they provided us with their latest position. At 6.35 we informed the Greek coastguard about the latest positions of both boats via mail. At 8.30am we learned that the first boat had been rescued and in the evening of that day the contact person who had alerted us to the second boat also confirmed to us that this group had been rescued by the Greek coastguard at about 10am.

At 6.30am we were informed via Facebook about a boat in distress near the Greek island of Samos (case 5). We established contact to the travellers via WhatsApp and learned that they were 55 persons on a damaged boat. They provided us with their latest coordinates and at 7.20am we alerted the Greek coastguard via phone and mail. Afterwards we were not able to get in contact with the travellers again. At 11.45am the Greek coastguard asserted to us that they had rescued the travellers. However, in the evening a contact person confirmed to us that the travellers had instead managed to arrive on the island of Samos on their own and that the Greek coastguard had not interfered.

A contact person alerted us to a boat in distress close to Mytilini on the Greek island of Lesvos at 9.30am and provided us with several phone numbers (case 6). We sent a WhatsApp message to the travellers and called them at 9.40am. They told us that they had already arrived safely on Lesvos.

In the afternoon we were alerted to three further boats in distress close to Lesvos. At 3.30pm a contact person informed us about a boat with 80 travellers on board, the engine of which had stopped north of Lesvos (cases 7). In a direct call to the travellers at 3.36pm we heard that the engine was already running again, but we were unable to obtain any further information. We alerted the Greek coastguard via phone and mail at 3.38pm and they promised to follow up the case. The contact person informed us at 5pm that the travellers were rescued and safe.

At 4.10pm the same contact person informed us about another boat in this area, with 40 people on board (case 8). Again, we alerted the Greek coastguard via phone and mail and at 5pm our contact person confirmed to us that this boat was rescued as well.

At 4.20pm someone called us directly from a boat in distress, with 50 travellers on board (case 9). The boat’s engine had broken down as well and we heard many people crying and shouting. As the travellers were not able to provide us with their current location, we asked them to call the emergency hotline 112. At 5pm we asked the Greek coastguard whether they had received a distress call from this boat, but they denied. At 5.40 we talked again to the travellers on the boat. This time communication was easier and we learned they had already been rescued and arrived on Lesvos.

In the evening of that day we received another direct call form travellers in distress at 8.45pm (case 10). The travellers told us that they had already called the emergency number 158 but that no rescue had arrived so far. They did not know were they are but promised to send us their current position via WhatsApp. At 9.15pm we called them again as we had not received any further information. They told us that in this very moment they saw a rescue vessel approaching them. Afterwards we were not able to reach them again.

Finally, at 9.40am a contact person alerted us to a boat in distress close to Chios, with 50 travellers on board (case 11). We immediately called the Greek coastguard and at 10pm our contact person told us that the travellers in distress saw a rescue vessel coming closer to them. At 10.10pm he confirmed to us that the Greek coastguard had rescued the travellers in distress.