Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 1st of February 2020

Case name: 2020_02_01-CM229
Situation: two boats started from Libya, one with 100 people reached Open Arms, 17 people intercepted to Libyan war zone
Status of WTM Investigation: concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case: On 1st February at 03:36h CET a call from a satellite phone came in. The travellers informed the shift team that they started nearly 24 hours earlier from Zuwara in a wooden boat and that problems with the engine occuring from time to time. We passed the GPS position to RCC Malta at 04:54h, they stated to already know about it. Shortly after an email was send to the competent authorities as well as to the reconnaissance aircraft Moonbird and the NGO rescue vessel Open Arms. When RCC Malta was called 06:17h they reported to be busy and then ended the call soon. The next GPS position at 07:32h showed that the boat is drifting which was reported to RCC Malta via email at 07:44h. The travellers told the shift team that they would have no life wests and that the engine in not working. The people had been on the water since 30 hours now. One hour later the Alarm Phone tweeted “We just talked to the people on the boat. They say there is water entering the boat and they are very afraid that no one will come to help them. Some people cry in the background. They are asking for help and they need urgent rescue! Why is nobody searching for them?” At 09:24h the officer of RCC Malta informed the shift team that they are working south of Lampedusa with vessels and planes and the closest asset would be 4 hours away. They gave no clear confirmation that a rescue operation is ongoing. In the next hours the Alarm Phone stayed in close contact to the travellers. They were tired and afraid that the boat will deflate. The aircraft Moonbird spotted a boat at 10:22h, the travellers confirmed to have seen a white airplane, therefor the GPS position provided by Moonbird were correct and reported to RCC Malta. The travellers provided the Alarm Phone with regular updates of their position and within the next hours it got clear that the boat is drifting south, back to war zone Libya. At 12:16h Moonbird communicated a new position to the competent authorities and at 13:05h Malta confirmed they will send a ship with estimated time of arrival in 1,5 to 2 hours. The travellers called the Alarm Phone regularly and a position was transferred at 14:16h and was passed to RCC Malta at 14:31h via email. Within a phone call 20 minutes later the officer informed about a cargo vessel nearby the situation. The situation onboard got worse, people panicking and water was about to enter the boat. A new GPS position was transferred to RCC Malta at 15:27h. Another GPS position was provided to RCC Malta at 16:17h. Half an hour later RCC Malta called the Alarm Phone to tell they didn’t found a boat on the position. But the Alarm Phone got a call from the travellers at 17:00h who stated to see two boats approaching them. One were grey with P52 written on it and a red and white flag and the other one were a bigger one. After this communication the contact was lost. When the shift team called RCC Malta at 18:45h they reported that all travellers are safe and the rescue is ongoing. 47 people reached Europe after 40 hours in distress!