Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 8th of December 2015

Case name: 2015_12_08-AEG151
Situation: 16 groups of travellers in distress near Chios, Pasas, Lesvos and Farmakonisi
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Tuesday the 8th of December 2015 the Alarm Phone was alerted to 14 boats in distress and to two groups who had stranded on the Greek islands of Pasas and Farmakonisi. The stranded groups were picked up and transferred to larger islands by the Greek coastguard. 4 groups of travellers eventually arrived independently on Greek islands. Beyond that, the Greek coastguard rescued 4 boats, while the Turkish coastguard was involved in rescue operations of 6 boats in distress.

A member of a support network United Rescue contacted the Alarm Phone at 1.20am and told us about a boat in distress east of the Greek island of Chios, carrying 50 people including 15 children and 3 pregnant women (case 1). They were still in Turkish waters and the waves were very high. At 1.30am we tried to speak to the travellers but could not reach them. One minute afterwards the contact person called us again and told us that the travellers were fine and that we should not alert the Turkish coastguard as they were still moving in the direction of Chios. We agreed that he would call us back in case of the need of further help. At 5.40am we were again in contact with the support network and learned that the travellers had safely arrived on Chios.

At 3.20am two different contact persons alerted us to a group of 15 people who had stranded on the Greek island of Pasas, close to Chios (case 2). Unfortunately we were not able to reach the travellers, thus we asked one of the contact persons to provide us with another phone number. At 5am we called the port authorities on Chios. They took our information but were not happy that the travellers were not reachable anymore. They promised to search them but also asked us to try to get in contact with them again. At 7am we informed the UNHCR Greece about the stranded people. Some hours afterwards, at 11am the first contact person wrote to us via Facebook that he had reached the travellers and that they were being rescued. However, at 12.20pm we were updated that they were still on the island. Again, their phone numbers were not reachable but we spoke to the port authorities on Chios and they confirmed to us that they were aware of the group and would pick them up soon.

United Rescue alerted us to another boat in distress close to Chios at 3.25am (case 3). The boat carried 50 to 60 travellers and water was entering. The support network had already informed the Greek coastguard in Piraeus and on the island of Chios and they had promised to save the travellers. At 4am the contact person called us again and informed us that the Greek coastguard had rescued the vessel in distress.

At 3.30am a contact person informed us about a boat in distress in Turkish waters, on its way towards the Greek island of Lesvos (case 4). As the boat was still far away from Lesvos we tried to get confirmation from the travellers in order to alert the Turkish coastguard, but were not able to reach them. At 3.40am the contact person called us again, stating that there were 45 people on board of a boat whose engine had stopped. We asked her to provide us with another phone number, as we need to speak directly to the travellers. She provided with another number at 3.55am. We called several times but no one picked up. However, at 4.15am we learned from the contact person that the traveller had been rescued and safe, but returned to Turkey.

At 5.45am a contact person alerted the Alarm Phone to a wooden boat in distress north of Lesvos, with 70 travellers on board (case 5). The contact person had already informed the Turkish coastguard and asked us to do likewise. Thus, at 6am we also talked to the Turkish coastguard and passed on the boat’s coordinates and phone number. The coastguard promised to become active and asked us to call back in one hour. We did accordingly at 7am, but rescue could not be confirmed at that point in time. As we were neither able to reach the travellers nor the contact person in the following hours, we were forced to wait until rescue was confirmed. At 10am we talked to the Turkish coastguard again and were told that they had searched the area but had not found a boat in distress. They assumed that the boat had reached Lesvos in the meantime. However, at 10.45am the contact person told us that, according to the travellers, the Turkish coastguard had rescued them.

At 7.15am the Alarm Phone received via WhatsApp the phone number and GPS coordinates of a boat in Greek territorial waters southeast of Lesvos (case 6). We called the number but did not reach anyone. Afterwards we sent a WhatsApp message stating that the travellers should get in contact with us if they need help. Afterwards, we were neither able to reach them nor did they contact us again.

At 10.20am another support network forwarded the GPS coordinates and phone number of a boat to us, whose engine had stopped between Ayvalik/Turkey and the Greek island of Lesvos (case 7). Although we were not able to talk to the travellers directly, we learned afterwards that another boat had provided help to the travellers in distress. At 2pm our contact person confirmed that they had safely arrived in Greece.

At 11am a contact person alerted us once again to a large group of 550 travellers who had stranded on the Greek military island of Farmakonisi the days before and had still not been picked up (case 8). Once again we talked to the UNHCR Greece and urged them to pressurize the Greek authorities to transfer the travellers quickly to another island and to investigate whether two people had died. At 12.30pm another contact person informed us that the travellers have been provided with food and drinks and that transfers to the island of Leros have started. According to his information, only 120 travellers remained at the island. At 2pm the UNHCR called us back and confirmed that at least a part of the travellers had been transferred, but also stated that constantly new boat were arriving at the island. Contrary to our informant, they could not confirm that there have been any fatalities but promised to investigate these rumours. At 2.50pm we sent an e-mail to the Leros Solidarity Group in order to clarify if two persons died on Farmakonisi. At 7.40pm the group answered that they have no information on people who died on the island. Finally, at 9pm our contact person told us that he had obtained this information from one of the travellers, which might hopefully be wrong.

At 1pm the support network Refugees Emergency at Sea and another contact person alerted us to a boat in distress on its way to Lesvos (case 9). Although the contact person had already informed the Turkish coastguard at 1pm, we also called them at 2pm and were told that the coastguard had searched in the mentioned area but only found a boat that was still moving in the direction of Lesvos and they let this boat pass. We forwarded this information to the contact person and learned from him at 3.30pm that the travellers had indeed safely arrived on Lesvos.

At 8.45pm another contact person informed the Alarm Phone about a boat in distress, with 40 people on board between the Turkish coast and Farmakonisi, but still in the Turkish search and rescue zone (case 10). 30 minutes later our contact asked us to call the Turkish coastguard. We did accordingly and were told the coastguard was aware of this boat and has already rescued it.

At 9.20pm we again received a distress call from this area and were provided with GPS coordinates and several phone numbers of travellers in distress east of Farmakonisi (case 11). We reached the travellers by phone, but could not obtain any further information. Nevertheless we gained the impression that the distress situation was urgent and thus we decided to alert the Turkish coastguard at 10pm. They promised to investigate the case and told us ten minutes later, that they think the boat was rescued, but need more time to verify this. At 9.30pm we talked again to the Turkish coastguard and they finally confirmed the rescue of the boat in question.

At 10.15pm another contact person alerted us via Facebook to a boat in distress close to the Turkish coast, with 35 travellers on board (case 12). Asked whether she has already informed the Turkish coastguard, our contact person answered that they were 3 hours earlier, but no help had arrived. We called the coastguard at 10.25pm and were told that the given coordinates where not at sea but on land and that the coastguard has already informed the local police in order to pick the travellers up from this coast strip.

At 10.20pm we received a WhatsApp message, alerting us to a group of travellers who were stranded on an uninhabited Turkish island east of Lesvos (case 13). We asked the contact person if they need help and if we should alert the Turkish authorities, but did not receive an answer. On the next morning we learned from the contact person that the travellers had been rescued.

At 10.50pm the coordinates and phone number of a group in the Greek search and rescue zone close to Farmakonisi was forwarded to us via Facebook, who were not yet in distress (case 14). Later on we learned that they had reached the island themselves.

Another case of a boat in distress was forwarded to us at 11.45pm (case 15). We called the travellers, 35 persons including 5 children and 3 old men, and they told us that one woman had died on the boat. We alerted the coastguard afterwards and received confirmation of their rescue from a contact person at 1.20am the next day.

Shortly before midnight a contact person informed us about a boat in distress with 60 people on board, including 25 children (case 16). During the night, the phone number of the travellers was not reachable, however, at 7.30am on the next day our contact person confirmed to us that they were all safe.