Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 4th of April 2018Case name: 2018_04_04-AEG365
Situation: Boat in distress in the Aegean Sea
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea
Summary of the Case: On Wednesday, the 4th of April 2018, our shift team was alerted at 3.09am by a contact person to a boat in distress in the Aegean Sea, carrying 30 people. We received their GPS position as well as a phone number. Our contact person reported that the boat was at serious risk of capsizing and asked us to alert the Turkish coastguard, since the boat was still in Turkish territory. At 3.15am, we spoke directly to the boat-people and they confirmed that they needed urgent help, and so we agreed to inform the Turkish authorities. At 3.20am, we received a voice message from them, telling us that although they were moving, they were in danger and needed help.
We passed their GPS position and other details to the Turkish coastguards at 3.31am. In the meantime, we received new GPS position. At 3.43am we also alerted the Greek coastguards to the case. The boat-people informed us at 3.56am that they were on a rubber boat with 30 people in total, including six children and two infants, as well as a pregnant woman. At 4.08am, our contact person informed us that there were two vessels in the vicinity of the boat in distress. At 4.24am, the Greek coastguards called us and asked us to tell the boat-people that they should get ready for the start of a rescue operation in a few minutes. We were, like our contact person, unable to quickly reach the boat. But already at 4.41am, the boat-people said that they were all safe on the Greek rescue vessel. They said that they were from Syria and had seen so many bad things, but that this day was a happy day in their lives. At 4.43am, we confirmed to the Greek coastguards that the people rescued had been from the boat in question. We then also informed our contact person about the rescue. At 6.18am, the person from the boat confirmed once more that they were safe and that they had arrived on Chios Island.
Last update: 12:55 Apr 10, 2018
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