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Development WTM site15/12: Alarm Phone alerted to 13 distress cases in the Aegean, near Farmakonisi, Chios, Samos, Lesvos, and Pasas
16.12.2015 / 23:25 / Aegean Sea
Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 15th of December 2015
Case name: 2015_12_15-AEG158
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 13 distress cases in the Aegean, near Farmakonisi, Chios, Samos, Lesvos, and Pasas
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea
Summary of the Cases: On Tuesday the 15th of December 2015 the Alarm Phone was alerted to a total of 13 distress cases near or on several Greek islands, namely Farmakonisi, Chios, Samos, Lesvos, and Pasas. We were in contact with three groups who were stranded on Farmakonisi. About 120 persons in total were stuck on the island on Tuesday, without food, water or medical assistance. However, it is probable that all of them were picked up and transferred to Leros on Tuesday evening (we could not obtain a final confirmation regarding all travellers). A group stranded on Chios could not be found or contacted after they had called for help. Another group stranded on Pasas was picked up and brought to Chios by the Port Authorities. Furthermore, we were alerted to five boats in distress near Chios, two of which were rescued by the Greek and three by the Turkish Coast Guard. In one case, the travellers reported that they had been attacked by masked man. In three other distress cases on sea near Lesvos and Samos, the travellers were rescued and brought to Greece.
We were in contact with three groups of travellers stranded on the military island of Farmakonisi. At 3:30am we were alerted to a first group of about 60 travellers on Farmakonisi, who had to sleep on the naked floor in shacks, without any blankets, who were freezing and asking for help (Case 1). At 3:45am we had the first contact with the Leros Port Authority, who told us that they would send a boat to Farmakonisi, which could take about 50 persons and that the same boat would cross 4 more times the next day. We informed the contact person about the plan. However, no boat showed up during the next or the following hours. At 7:46am we were alerted to a second group of travellers. They were 8 women, 2 children, and 2 men, who had arrived on Farmakonisi around 5.50 am (case 2). We could not reach the group, but our contact person was in direct contact with them. They were walking and looking for the police. When they met military staff they were only told to continue walking. At 10.36am another contact person informed us about another group of 53 persons who had arrived on Farmakonisi in the morning (case 3). They were 19 women, 21 men and 15 children. With the group that had been there since the day before (case 1) they were more than 120 persons and without food or water. Around noon, we called the Leros Port Authority about the three groups of travellers and to ask about the planned transfer between Farmakonisi and Leros. Our interlocutor told us that they were going to send a boat, but not regularly and he could not tell us when the boat would be sent. At 3pm, one of our contact persons told us that a boat had arrived and had taken some people to Leros. One hour later, we called the Port Authorities again, who said that another boat would come soon to pick up more people. We tried reaching the travellers on Farmakonisi, but without success. At 5.10pm, we called the Port Authorities again, who were not willing to give us any further information about the on-going transfer from and the situation on Farmakonisi. At about 8pm the contact person of case 2 informed us that at least this group had arrived safe and sound in Leros. From the other contact persons we could not obtain a final confirmation, but they were probably all brought to Leros.
Case 4: At 7:07am we received a Facebook alert about a group of 50 travellers stranded on Chios. We asked them to call 112, but also tried to call the Port Authorities on Chios. At 3:45pm we finally managed to reach them and informed them about the stranded travellers. They sent someone to look for the travellers, but did not encounter them. We asked the contact person for an updated position, but never heard back from the travellers.
Case 5: At 7.46am a contact person alerted us via WhatsApp to a boat in distress near Chios that he had lost contact with. He sent us a position that they had sent half an hour earlier. We tried reaching the boat, but also without success. At 8.40am we informed the Greek Coastguard, who was hesitant to take the coordinates of the boat at first and insisted that the travellers should call 112, but eventually they agreed to take the boat's position and at 11:10am the contact person confirmed that the boat had been rescued by the Greek Coastguard to Chios.
Case 6: At 8.36am, we receive another alert via WhatsApp, this time concerning a group of travellers stranded on Pasas, an island close to Chios. At 5pm we had contact with the Chios Port Authorities, who confirmed that the group had been picked up from Pasas.
Case 7: At shortly before 10am, two contact persons informed us about a boat in distress near Lesvos with 40 persons on board. We were told that the engine was broken and water already inside the boat. We passed the information to the Greek coastguard. At 11am the contact persons confirmed that the boat had been rescued to Greece.
Case 8: At 11.16am a contact person sent us a WhatsApp about a boat in distress in Turkish waters, headed towards Chios. He asked us to call the Turkish Coastguard, which we did. At 1.14pm the contact person sent us the boat's new position - in Greek waters. The Turkish Coastguard was close to the boat, but at first hesitated to save the boat, as they were already in Greek territorial waters. At 1.30pm our contact person informed us that the Turkish Coastguard had saved the boat.
Case 9: At 12:32am, a contact person sent us the number and coordinates of another group in distress on the way to Chios, but still in Turkish waters: They were 40 persons on a boat in danger of capsizing. We immediately called the Turkish coastguard, who was already informed about the case and promised to send a boat. At 4pm the contact person confirmed that the Turkish Coastguard had rescued the boat.
Case 10: Just a few minutes later after the ninth alert, we were alerted on Facebook to a boat with 40 passengers near Chios, who had been attacked, probably by members of the coastguard and were now in danger of capsizing. We did not manage to establish direct contact with the travellers. At 1pm we called and emailed the Greek Coastguard about the case. 40 minutes later, we received a WhatsApp message about the same case from different contact persons. He told us that the Turkish Coastguard had rescued the travellers, even though their boat had been in Greek waters. We forwarded the case to human rights NGOs for further investigation.
Besides these cases, we were alerted to three other cases of distress, in which we did not become active: In one case the traveller heading to Chios had trouble with their engine, but managed to fix them and arrived in Chios without assistance (Case 11). In another case, a boat was about to capsize north of Samos, but was rescued in time and brought to Greece (Case 12). Another boat heading to Lesvos, which had run out of fuel, was also rescued and brought to Greece (Case 13). Additionally we have been alerted about dramatic cases of families who got separated during the border crossing.
Case name: 2015_12_15-AEG158
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to 13 distress cases in the Aegean, near Farmakonisi, Chios, Samos, Lesvos, and Pasas
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea
Summary of the Cases: On Tuesday the 15th of December 2015 the Alarm Phone was alerted to a total of 13 distress cases near or on several Greek islands, namely Farmakonisi, Chios, Samos, Lesvos, and Pasas. We were in contact with three groups who were stranded on Farmakonisi. About 120 persons in total were stuck on the island on Tuesday, without food, water or medical assistance. However, it is probable that all of them were picked up and transferred to Leros on Tuesday evening (we could not obtain a final confirmation regarding all travellers). A group stranded on Chios could not be found or contacted after they had called for help. Another group stranded on Pasas was picked up and brought to Chios by the Port Authorities. Furthermore, we were alerted to five boats in distress near Chios, two of which were rescued by the Greek and three by the Turkish Coast Guard. In one case, the travellers reported that they had been attacked by masked man. In three other distress cases on sea near Lesvos and Samos, the travellers were rescued and brought to Greece.
We were in contact with three groups of travellers stranded on the military island of Farmakonisi. At 3:30am we were alerted to a first group of about 60 travellers on Farmakonisi, who had to sleep on the naked floor in shacks, without any blankets, who were freezing and asking for help (Case 1). At 3:45am we had the first contact with the Leros Port Authority, who told us that they would send a boat to Farmakonisi, which could take about 50 persons and that the same boat would cross 4 more times the next day. We informed the contact person about the plan. However, no boat showed up during the next or the following hours. At 7:46am we were alerted to a second group of travellers. They were 8 women, 2 children, and 2 men, who had arrived on Farmakonisi around 5.50 am (case 2). We could not reach the group, but our contact person was in direct contact with them. They were walking and looking for the police. When they met military staff they were only told to continue walking. At 10.36am another contact person informed us about another group of 53 persons who had arrived on Farmakonisi in the morning (case 3). They were 19 women, 21 men and 15 children. With the group that had been there since the day before (case 1) they were more than 120 persons and without food or water. Around noon, we called the Leros Port Authority about the three groups of travellers and to ask about the planned transfer between Farmakonisi and Leros. Our interlocutor told us that they were going to send a boat, but not regularly and he could not tell us when the boat would be sent. At 3pm, one of our contact persons told us that a boat had arrived and had taken some people to Leros. One hour later, we called the Port Authorities again, who said that another boat would come soon to pick up more people. We tried reaching the travellers on Farmakonisi, but without success. At 5.10pm, we called the Port Authorities again, who were not willing to give us any further information about the on-going transfer from and the situation on Farmakonisi. At about 8pm the contact person of case 2 informed us that at least this group had arrived safe and sound in Leros. From the other contact persons we could not obtain a final confirmation, but they were probably all brought to Leros.
Case 4: At 7:07am we received a Facebook alert about a group of 50 travellers stranded on Chios. We asked them to call 112, but also tried to call the Port Authorities on Chios. At 3:45pm we finally managed to reach them and informed them about the stranded travellers. They sent someone to look for the travellers, but did not encounter them. We asked the contact person for an updated position, but never heard back from the travellers.
Case 5: At 7.46am a contact person alerted us via WhatsApp to a boat in distress near Chios that he had lost contact with. He sent us a position that they had sent half an hour earlier. We tried reaching the boat, but also without success. At 8.40am we informed the Greek Coastguard, who was hesitant to take the coordinates of the boat at first and insisted that the travellers should call 112, but eventually they agreed to take the boat's position and at 11:10am the contact person confirmed that the boat had been rescued by the Greek Coastguard to Chios.
Case 6: At 8.36am, we receive another alert via WhatsApp, this time concerning a group of travellers stranded on Pasas, an island close to Chios. At 5pm we had contact with the Chios Port Authorities, who confirmed that the group had been picked up from Pasas.
Case 7: At shortly before 10am, two contact persons informed us about a boat in distress near Lesvos with 40 persons on board. We were told that the engine was broken and water already inside the boat. We passed the information to the Greek coastguard. At 11am the contact persons confirmed that the boat had been rescued to Greece.
Case 8: At 11.16am a contact person sent us a WhatsApp about a boat in distress in Turkish waters, headed towards Chios. He asked us to call the Turkish Coastguard, which we did. At 1.14pm the contact person sent us the boat's new position - in Greek waters. The Turkish Coastguard was close to the boat, but at first hesitated to save the boat, as they were already in Greek territorial waters. At 1.30pm our contact person informed us that the Turkish Coastguard had saved the boat.
Case 9: At 12:32am, a contact person sent us the number and coordinates of another group in distress on the way to Chios, but still in Turkish waters: They were 40 persons on a boat in danger of capsizing. We immediately called the Turkish coastguard, who was already informed about the case and promised to send a boat. At 4pm the contact person confirmed that the Turkish Coastguard had rescued the boat.
Case 10: Just a few minutes later after the ninth alert, we were alerted on Facebook to a boat with 40 passengers near Chios, who had been attacked, probably by members of the coastguard and were now in danger of capsizing. We did not manage to establish direct contact with the travellers. At 1pm we called and emailed the Greek Coastguard about the case. 40 minutes later, we received a WhatsApp message about the same case from different contact persons. He told us that the Turkish Coastguard had rescued the travellers, even though their boat had been in Greek waters. We forwarded the case to human rights NGOs for further investigation.
Besides these cases, we were alerted to three other cases of distress, in which we did not become active: In one case the traveller heading to Chios had trouble with their engine, but managed to fix them and arrived in Chios without assistance (Case 11). In another case, a boat was about to capsize north of Samos, but was rescued in time and brought to Greece (Case 12). Another boat heading to Lesvos, which had run out of fuel, was also rescued and brought to Greece (Case 13). Additionally we have been alerted about dramatic cases of families who got separated during the border crossing.
Last update: 11:13 Dec 23, 2015
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