Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – November 10th 2020

Case name: 2020_11_10-CM325

Situation: 110 people rescued off the coast of Lampedusa, 17 people died due to inactivity of competent authorities, 185 people rescued by the vessel Open Arms

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Position Case 1: 34.93908, 11.93755

Position Case 2: 33.64642, 12.73067

Position Case 3: 33.42720, 12.30255

Position Case 4: 33.60262, 12.91947

Summary

On November 10th Alarmphone was alerted to four distress cases in the Central Mediterranean. One, a boat carrying 110 people was rescued off the coast of Lampedusa. A second boat, carrying 20 people, was left in distress at sea for over 60 hours, when the we received information of a shipwreck. Although the shipwreck turned out to be another case which had had not contact to Alarmphone, the call of a person who had been on the boat of 20 people on November 14th confirmed their vessel had capsized also and all but three people had died at sea. A third boat carrying 85 people, and a fourth carrying 100 people were rescued by the Civil MRCC vessel Open Arms.

Summary Case 1

In the early morning of November 10th 2020 Alarmphone was alerted to a boat in distress carrying between 90 and 100 people, including five women and three children. One of two eninges had broken down at the time of the alert and the boat was running out of fuel. At 03.20 CET we forwarded the alert to authorities via e-mail. We received updated GPS positions from the boat throughout the night, which we forwarded to authorities via e-mail. Our calls to Malta remained unanswered. Shortly after 6.00 CET we lost contact to the boat. At 06.48 CET a very concerned relative calls us to see if we have any news on the case. Around midday a journalist on social media confirmed the rescue of the people in distress. The number of people was confirmed to be 110.

Twitter Chronology

05.32 CET https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326019573624295425

Summary Case 2

In the morning of November 10th Alarmphone was alerted to a boat in distress carrying 20 people who fled from Lybia. Between 08.41 CET and 09.06 CET we received several GPS positions which differed in format and location. The boat appeared to be located in the Lybian search and rescue zone. At 09.56 we informed authorities via e-mail. At 10.52 CET people on the boat informed us that water had started to enter their boat. Throughout midday and early afternoon we received updated GPS positions which we forwarded to authorities. At 18.30 CET the people in the boat informed us that their vessel had started to ‘go down’. The person calling sounded desperate and very tired. About an hour later they informed is the second engine, too had stopped working. After this call we lost contact to the boat in distress until 07.45 CET when people on the boat informed us that they were still at sea, waiting for rescue, almost 22h after authorities were first informed. In the morning of November 11th a worried relative called us, asking whether their family members in the boat were safe. By 13.09 CET were had not been able to reestablish contact with the boat in distress and contacted authorities to request an update on the situation, and again at 17.35 CET. And at 01.51 CET and 10.55 CET November 12th.We received no reply. Contact to the boat in distress could not be reestablished. At 11.17 CET authorities in Rome finally responded to our e-mail requesting a search and rescue operation, stating the SAR vessel Open Arms to be in the vicinity of this case, and further information would follow. We were unable to establis contact to the 20 people in distress throughout the day. At 18.31 CET Medecines Sans Frontieres confimred that a boat carrying 20 people had capsised, and all but three people had had to drown. By 20.30 CET it seems very likely that the case MSF tweeted about was the boat which had alerted us to their distress at sea almost 60 hours earlier. On November 14th we were contacted by a person who had been on the boat carrying 20 people who had alerted us to their distress situation at sea. The survivor testified that their boat had capsized due to rough weather and high waves. Fishermen were able to rescue only three of the twenty passengers. Based on he information provided by the surviver we concluded the shipwreck reported on by MSF Sea was not identical with this case, but a second shipwreck, killing 20 people with only three survivors. Alarm Phone had asked authorities and Frontex for a search and rescue operation several times – but in vain.

Twitter Chronology

November 11th

14.02 CET https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326510478655361024?s=09

November 12th

09.16 CET https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326800992952840192

11.13 CET https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326830460505378817?s=09

MSF: 18.37 CET https://twitter.com/MSF_Sea/status/1326942277542010882

20.30 CET https://mobile.twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326970557443739653

Summary Case 3

At 10.44 CET November 10th Alarmphone was alerted to a boat in distress carrying around 80 people, including ten women and eight children. At the time of the alert, people on the boat were panicking and reported that some had died, others had fallen into the water. We alerted authorities immediately via phone and e-mail. After the distress call direct contact to the people on the boat broke. We repeatedly try to reach the so called Lybian coast guard via phone. Eventually an operator copied the information. At 12.42 CET and throughout the afternoon we received an updated GPS positions from people on the boat, which were forwarded to authorities. Later on in the afternoon the rescue of 85 people from a boat in very bad condition by the vessel Open Arms at the location conveyed to us by the people in distress was confirmed.

Twitter Chronology

11.45 CET https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1326113380655112192?s=20

Summary Case 4

In the afternoon of November 10th Alarmphone was alerted to a boat carrying around 100 people including women and at least one infant. People on the boat sounded very agitated at the time of the alert. We remained in contact to the boat throughout the afternoon, calls from people on the boat becoming more and more desperate. At 20.55 CET we received a GPS position which was forwarded to authorities. We were unable to reestablish contact to the boat that night. Around midday November 11th the rescue of 100 people including an infant in a black rubber boat by the vessel Open Arms was confirmed.