Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 27th of July 2018

Case name: 2018_07_27-WM298
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 Friday, the 27th of July 2018, the Alarm Phone was alerted to 16 boats in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. 9 boats were rescued to Spain, 6 returned to Morocco. For 1 boat we have no further information. Besides the 16 cases, we were also informed about 8 other boats. We were, however, never able to directly contact them. We have received the information that of these 8 boats, 4 reached Spain, 1 was returned to Morocco and for the 3 others we do not have further information.

Boat 1: At 7.10am CEST, our Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a contact person to a boat in distress that had left from close to Tangier during the night, carrying 8 people, including 1 woman. We reached them at 8.19am and asked to send us their GPS position. With the updated GPS position that we received at 2.43pm, we contacted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo (SM). Only the next day did the travellers inform us that they had returned to Moroccan land independently as they were too tired to continue.

Boat 2: At 8am, we learned about a boat carrying 10 people in distress coming from around Tangier. We travellers were not reachable for some time and so we informed SM about this case at 8.40am. Only several hours later did the travellers confirm to us that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 3: Shortly after we were informed about boat 2, we were informed about a boat in distress carrying 10 people. They had left from Achakar/Morocco in the early hours of the day and following the account of our contact person, several people had gone overboard. Given their location and the urgency of the situation, we informed both SM and the Moroccan authorities to the situation at 9am. At 9.15am we spoke to the travellers again and they were in a serious distress situation. Several hours later we were able to speak to them again. One of the travellers informed us that they had been in the water for up to six hours. Eventually a fisherman found them and rescued them to Tangier.

Boat 4: At 9.15am, we were informed about a boat carrying 9 people, including 1 woman, in distress. They forwarded GPS positions which we sent to SM. Only the next day did the travellers inform us that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 5: At 9.17am, we received information via a contact person about a boat in distress carrying 44 people, including 5 women and 2 children. At 9.37am we received updated GPS coordinates and the information that the women on the boat were sick. We informed SM. In the afternoon we received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 6: At 10.12am, we were alerted to a boat carrying 8 people, including 1 woman. Several hours later, and given their location still deep in Moroccan waters, we were asked to inform the Moroccan authorities to the situation. We received GPS coordinates which we passed on to them in the early evening. Only the next day did we receive the information that the people were returned to Morocco by the Moroccan Navy.

Boat 7: At around 11am, we were alerted to a boat in distress coming from Tangier, carrying 11 people. When we received updated GPS coordinates at 11.48am, we informed SM shortly after. In the evening one of the travellers informed us that they had been intercepted and returned to Morocco.

Boat 8: At 11.38am, we received a call from a boat carrying 9 people, including 2 women. They were in distress after having left from Achakar several hours earlier. We informed SM at 12.17pm to the case. Several hours later we received the confirmation from the travellers that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 9: At around the same time as boat 7, we were informed about a boat carrying 14 people, including 3 women and 2 children. We were able to speak to them at 11.53am, and it was clear that the situation was very dangerous. The mother of one child was panicking, as her baby was sick and in urgent need of help. We informed SM. At 2pm we received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 10, 11, 12: At 12.03pm, a contact person informed us about a convoy of three boats, carrying a total of 18 people. They had left from Tangier. We asked them to send us their GPS position. We were told at 12.25pm that they could see a vessel of SM. At 1.05pm we received the confirmation that they had been rescued to Spain.

Boat 13: At around 1pm, we were informed about a boat carrying 15 people, including 8 women and 1 child. We spoke to them at 1.50pm and they seemed to be in urgent need of help. We informed SM a few minutes later. We received an updated GPS position at 2.07pm which we passed on to SM. At 2.52pm, the travellers informed us that they had been rescued and were on their way to Spain.

Boat 14: At 5.52pm, we were alerted by a contact person to a boat in distress carrying 11 people. They had come from Achakar. We spoke to the travellers at 6.31pm and they informed us that they were very tired. We asked them to send us their current GPS position. We passed on the GPS to SM at 10.35pm. For several hours we tried to verify with SM whether this boat had been rescued or not. SM informed us that they had rescued about 800 people from about 50 boats during the day and could not verify whether the boat in question had been rescued or not.

Boat 15: At around 7pm, we received a case via a contact person, concerning a boat in distress carrying 13 people, including 1 woman and 2 infants. They had left from Tangier. With an updated GPS position we contacted SM and informed them about the case. Only on the next day did we receive the confirmation that they had to row back to Morocco as they could not continue their journey.

Case 16: At 10.08pm, we were called by someone on a boat who asked us to alert the Spanish authorities to their distress. They were 11 people, including 1 woman and 1 child. We informed SM at 10.35pm. The next day, one of the travellers confirmed that they had been returned to Morocco by the Moroccan Navy.