Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 28th of November 2019
Case name: 2019_11_28-CM214
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to three boats leaving from Libya; all safe thanks to the efforts of civil search and rescue groups.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Thursday the 28th of November the Alarm Phone was alerted to three groups of travellers in the Central Mediterranean sea. All boats were rescued by efforts from civil search and rescue vessels, two boats by Alan Kurdi and one by Ocean Viking, with assistance of the civil aircraft Colibri.

At 5.02am CET our shift team was called by a group of 44 travellers, including 25 women and three children, who had left on a rubber boat from Zarwya in Libya and were heading towards Lampedusa. The travellers forwarded us their position, and at 5.10am we alerted the so-called Libyan coastguard and the civil search and rescue organization Sea Eye, operating the vessel Alan Kurdi, to the distress of the travellers. Throughout the morning we managed to stay in contact with the travellers and receive their position which we forwarded to the relevant authorities. At 9.42am we were informed that Alan Kurdi was carrying out a rescue operation in the area, and at 11.36am Alan Kurdi confirmed that they had rescued the travellers from this boat and were requesting a port of safety to disembark.

At 9.05am our shift team was called a group of 42 people, including pregnant women and children, who had also left from Zarwya. They sent us their position, and at 9.45am we alerted the so-called Libyan coastguard as well as civil rescue organizations operating in the area. We managed to stay in contact with the travellers throughout the day, and recharge their satellite phone credit so that they were able to make calls. The situation of the travellers became increasingly more urgent as the weather was rough and water started entering the boat. At 2.33pm the travellers informed us that they could see an aircraft above them, which we assumed was the aircraft of the organization Pilotes Volontaires, named Colibri, searching the area. At 3.49pm we received confirmation from Alan Kurdi that they had also managed to rescue this boat, and that the travellers were now safely onboard their vessel.

At 5.45pm our shift team was called by a boat carrying 56 travellers, including a pregnant woman and two children, who had left from Libya the previous night at 10pm in a wooden boat. They told us that water was entering their boat, and that the engine had stopped working. After a while we managed to obtain their position as well. At 6.47pm we alerted the so-called Libyan coast guard and the rescue vessel Ocean Viking operated by the civil search and rescue organization SOS Mediterranee via email. During the evening we stayed in touch with the travellers, tried to calm them down, and recharged their satellite phone credit. At 8.47pm the travellers informed us that they could see two vessels close by, and at 10.12pm Ocean Viking told us that they were carrying out rescue operation of the boat.