Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 4th of November 2020

Case name: 20201104-CM322

Situation: 79 people started from Zuwara, Libya, and reached Lampedusa autonomously

Status of WTM Investigation: concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case:

On 4th of November 2020 at 23:05h CET the shift team was called from a satellite phone. The situation on board seemed chaotic and before the GPS position could be transferred verbally the call was interrupted. 45 minutes later the GPS position was complete and also some other information: it was a blue boat with 81 persons on it, among them 3 women and children. The travellers stated the boat was drifting.

An email with all necessary information was sent to the competent authorities in the first minutes of 5th November 2020. Afterwards RCC Malta was called to get confirmation of receiving the email. In a next call to the travellers at 00:17h the number of Maltese coast guard was passed. The people begged for help. 30 minutes later they stated that water comes slowly into the boat. At 01:28h the shift team decided to alert the company of the merchant vessel MARIDIVE 601 in vicinity. This was done by email, given phone number couldn’t be reached. In the next and last phone call with the travellers at 01:38h they stated to be exhausted.

In the morning the shift team started again to come into contact with the responsible person of the shipping company. This was very tedious and finally not helpful.

Numerous attempts to contact Maltese coast guards succeeded only at 14:22h. The officer took all information and asked to call back later.

17:16h the so-called Libyan coast guard was called but they stated to not have information about the rescue of such a boat.

In the evening we learned by a journalist that 79 travellers reached Lampedusa.