Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 31st of October 2015

Case name: 2015_10_31-AEG115
Situation: 23 cases of distress near the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Ro, Agathonisi, Pasas, Samos, Farmakonisi and Kos
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Saturday the 31st of October 2015 the Alarm Phone was alerted to 23 cases of distress in the Aegean Sea, near the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Ro, Agathonisi, Pasas, Samos, Farmakonisi and Kos. In 16 cases we were able to contribute to rescue operations either on land or at sea by informing the responsible authorities or we provided valuable information to the travellers. In all other cases different support networks took care about the travellers or the provided information did not allow us to take action.

At 2.30am a contact person provided us with coordinates and a phone number of a boat in distress east of Lesvos, with 36 people on board (case 1). We talked briefly to the travellers at 2.37am and alerted the Greek coastguard at 2.45am. They promised to take action. At 3am we also informed the coastguard and the UNHCR in Greece via e-mail about the case. However, at 3.25am we received a message from the contact person, stating that a fishing vessel had rescued the travellers and brought them to Lesvos. We called the coastguard and informed accordingly.

At 4.34am a member of the network ‘Save the Refugees’ called us and alerted us to a boat in distress east of Chios, with 37 people on board (case 2). She had already informed the Greek coastguard and was asked to call back one hour later. We tried to contact the travellers via WhatsApp at 4.36am but did not reach them. They were offline since 2.40am.
At 5.32am another contact person informed us that the travellers had safely arrived on Chios on their own.

At 5.20am we were informed about a group of 40 travellers who had stranded on the Greek island of Ro (case 3). We contacted the travellers and learned that they had arrived two hours earlier. We talked to the Greek coastguard on Rhodos and were informed that they knew about the group and that a patrol vessel was on its way. Later on we received another message from the travellers. The coastguard vessel had arrived on the island and had started to rescue them.

At 6.10am the Alarm Phone was directly by a group of 90 travellers on their way from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Agathonisi (case 4). As they were still in Turkish waters but not in distress we recommended to them to move on. At 6.38am and again at 6.52am they sent us updated coordinates. They were moving quite fast in the direction of Agathonisi. At 7.12am a contact person alerted us to the same boat and provided us with two phone numbers and with a photo from the boat. The sea was calm and we assumed that they would arrive on Agathonisi on their own. Later on another contact person informed us that they had indeed safely arrived on Agathonisi.

During the same morning we were informed about a group of travellers who had stranded on the small Greek island of Pasas between Çeşme/Turkey and the Greek island of Chios the day before (case 5). They were 50 adults with 20 children and had cooled down very much. We alerted the Greek coastguard via e-mail. Eventually we received a message from a contact person, informing us that the travellers had been rescued from this island.

A contact person alerted us to a group of 45 travellers who had stranded on the northeastern coast of Samos and forwarded their phone number to us (case 6). We talked briefly to them, they were walking in the mountains, with a baby among them and no water left. We called the port authority on Samos who were already aware of the group and told us that the local police was on its way with a van to pick the travellers up. At 1pm the contact person informed us that the group had split and 7 people were left behind: 1 old sick man, 1 old woman, 1 child and 4 teenage boys. At 2.30pm we heard that they had met other people, probably tourists, who offered to drive them to the next town. Eventually, our contact person confirmed to us, that the travellers had been picked up and were safe.

Another contact person alerted us to a boat in distress north of Samos and forwarded a phone number to us (case 7) We talked to the travellers, a group of 30 people, and they asked us to call the Greek coastguard. We called the port authority of Samos and forwarded the coordinates of this boat. Later on the port authority told us that they went out to look for the boat but were not able to find it. We tried to call the travellers several times, but did not reach them.

We received a direct call from a boat in distress (case 8). The travellers were very stressed and told us that they see the Greek coast and a large vessel. However, they were not able to tell us where they were, thus we could not do much more as asking them to call the international emergency hotline 112.

We received a direct call from a boat north of Samos (case 9). Later on we learned that the travellers had safely arrived on Samos.

A call from Austria informed us about a boat in distress, which had started from Izmir/Turkey (case 10). The contact person forwarded a phone number of the travellers to us but was not able to provide us with coordinates. We asked the contact person to call the Greek coastguard individually and to keep us updated. Later on the contact person confirmed to us that she had reached the travellers and that they had safely arrived on land.

At 1pm a member of Nawal Soufi’s network forwarded the coordinates and a phone number of a group of 40 travellers to us, who had stranded on Farmakonisi (case 11). While the contact person had called the Italian MRCC in Rome, we preferred to alert the Greek coastguard. At 3pm we called the Greek rescue coordination centre in Piraeus. They were already aware of the group and confirmed to us that local authorities would take care of them.

At 2.15pm we received WhatsApp messages from several contact persons alerting us to a boat in distress north of Lesvos (case 12). We tried to call the travellers but were not able to reach them. At 2.20pm and again at 3pm we informed the Greek coastguard. They told us that they would search for them. In the following hours we were not able to reach the travellers again. However, at 4.45pm one of our contact persons informed us that a fishing vessel had rescued the travellers in distress.

At 5.20pm we were alerted via Facebook about another boat in distress close to the northern shore of Lesvos (case 13). Their engine had broken down, with about 20 people on board. We were not able to talk to the travellers directly but the contact person asked us to inform the Greek coastguard. At 5.45pm we alerted both the coastguard on Lesvos and the rescue coordination centre in Piraeus. Afterwards we did not reach the travellers again.

At 9.30pm we were informed via WhatsApp about a boat in distress between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Kos, with 40 people on board (case 14). As the travellers were still in Turkish waters we called them and ask if should inform the Turkish coastguard. They asked us to do so and at 9.50pm we learned that they had been saved to Turkey.

At 10.07pm we were informed via Facebook about a group of 50 travellers who were stranded on the uninhabited island of Glaros east of Agathonisi (case 15). We called them and urged them to call 112 in order to inform the police. Beyond that, we also wrote an e-mail to the Greek coastguard and the UNHCR in Greece. Later on we called the travellers again but were not able to reach them. We sent a message and asked them to keep us updated.

At 10.50pm a contact person informed us via WhatsApp about another boat in distress north of Lesvos (case 16). Apparently the boat’s engine had stopped three hours earlier, with many children on board and no food left. We asked the contact person to provide us with a phone number of the travellers, but the person was not able to do so. On the next day he informed us that the Greek coastguard had rescued the travellers.