Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 24th of July 2018

Case name: 2018_07_24-WM295
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to several emergency situations in the Western Med
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Tuesday, the 24th of July 2018, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 20 boats in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. 10 boats were rescued to Spain, 8 were returned to Morocco. For two boats we have no further information.

Boat 1: At 7.10am CEST, our shift team was alerted by a contact person to a boat in distress that had left from Achakar Beach/Morocco, carrying four people. We spoke to the travellers directly at 7.50am, but they were unable to send us their precise GPS position. We later learned that they were intercepted by the Moroccan Navy and returned to Morocco.

Boat 2: At 7.29am CEST, we were informed by a contact person about the second boat in distress, carrying 8 people, including 1 pregnant woman. They had also left from Achakar Beach. At 8.22am we were able to directly speak to the travellers but they were unable to forward their GPS position to us. At 8.49am we were able to speak to the woman on the boat, who was very anxious and called for help. They were in severe distress and we received later the confirmation that the Moroccan Navy had rescued the group and returned them to Morocco. The pregnant woman was brought to a hospital.

Boat 3: At 7.42amCEST , a contact person informed us about a group of 12 men who had left from Achakar Beach during the night. We received their GPS position and informed the Spanish Search and Rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo at around 10am. We later received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 4: At 8.31am CEST, a contact person alerted us to a boat carrying 5 men who had left from Achakar Beach. We informed SM about the situation and shortly before 1pm we received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 5: At 8.35am CEST, our shift team was alerted to a boat in distress, with an unknown number of people on board. We were in contact with the travellers and they sent us a GPS position which we forwarded to SM at about 1.40pm. At 2.13pm we received the confirmation of the group that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 6: At 8.39am CEST, we received a message from a boat in distress, carrying 11 people. At 9.03am, they informed us that they were in a convoy with another boat, each boat carrying 11 people. Only in the evening did we receive their confirmation that they had been returned to Tangier/Morocco by the Moroccan Navy.

Boat 7: Shortly after 9am CEST, our shift team was alerted to a boat carrying 12 people, including 2 women. The contact person informed us that they had already informed SM. We later also informed SM and received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 8: At 9.16am CEST, we received a direct call to the Alarm Phone. At 9.34am we were able to speak to them again and found out that there were 8 people, including 1 pregnant woman who were in distress. They had started from Achakar Beach. At 11.08am we received an update from the boat and informed SM to the situation. At 1.52pm, the travellers informed us that they had been returned to Morocco by the Moroccan Navy.

Boats 9 and 10: At 9.24am CEST and shortly after, the same contact person informed us about two boats in distress. The first carried 13 people, including 1 woman and 2 children, and the second one 12 people and 2 women. Both were rescued to Spain.

Boat 11: At 9.30am CEST, we were alerted by a contact person to a boat carrying 12 people, including 2 women and 2 children, who were in distress. We later received a GPS position and forwarded it to SM. In the evening we learned that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 12: At 9.37am CEST, we received a direct call from a boat in distress carrying 8 people. At 10.17am we received a GPS position and alerted SM to the case. We later found out that they were intercepted and returned to Morocco.

Boat 13: Shortly after, at 9.45am CEST, we received direct calls from a boat carrying 12 people, including 4 women, 2 of whom were pregnant. The calls were interrupted but we learned that they had left from Achakar Beach. At 1.05pm, they informed us that they had returned to Morocco by themselves.

Boat 14: We received another case via a contact person, concerning a boat carrying 7 people, including 2 women and 1 infant. At 12.42pm we were able to speak to the boat directly. They told us that they were tired and needed support. They were still deep in Moroccan waters and considered rowing back to land. At 2.31pm we received the information that they had been returned to Morocco by the Moroccan Navy.

Boat 15: At 9.57am CEST, we received a direct call to the Alarm Phone. A man informed us that he was in distress with 4 other people. We asked him to send us an updated GPS position. However, contact could not be restablished until 1pm when he informed us that the Moroccan Navy had intercepted them.

Boat 16: At 10.15am CEST, we received information via a contact person to a boat in distress, carrying 12 people, including 4 women. We were unable to reach them. We passed their position on to SM and at around noon we received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 17: At 10.54am CEST, we received a call from a boat carrying 10 people, including 1 woman. They informed us that they could see a SM rescue vessel in the vicinity. At 1.20pm, we received their correct GPS position and informed SM. At 2.24pm the boat informed us that they could see a vessel that appeared to be from SM. Over the next hours we spoke to the travellers regularly. At 4.58pm, they were still in distress at sea and at 5.12pm they grew increasingly anxious, also as the sea was getting rougher. We informed SM once again at 5.12pm about the case. Afterwards we were not able to reconnect to the travellers and thus we do not know what happened to them.

Boat 18: At 10.58am CEST, we received a direct call from a boat carrying 10 people, including 1 woman. They had left from Achakar Beach. They sent us a GPS position at 12.32pm which we passed on to SM shortly after. We lost contact to them and thus cannot verify what happened to them.

Boat 19: In the afternoon we received information about a boat carrying 11 people. We contacted them and they informed us that they could see Spanish mountains and several other boats in distress. At 4.27pm we contacted SM and informed them about the case. Only days later did we receive the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 20: At 6.21pm CEST, we received information about a boat in distress carrying 7 people via a contact person. We tried to reach the boat several times but could not get through. Someone who had been on the boat informed us days later that they had been rescued to Spain.