Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 24th of October 2021

Case name: 20211024-AEG835
Situation: 45 people in distress in a sailing boat 42km in Italian Search and Rescue Zone between Greece and Italy. We were informed by Italian authorities that the people were taken aboard the cargo ship Italia Grande and were brought to Greece, although the position we received clearly showed them in Italian responsibility.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case:

On the 24th of October we were informed about a boat with 45 people which started four days ago and was in distress between Greece and Italy. The position we received through a relative showed the boat in Italian Search and Rescue Zone (37°52, 18°28 at 18:00CEST 23.10.2021), so we forwarded the alert to Italian authorities at 09:49 CEST. During the next 24 hours we tried to reach the people on the boat without success. At 14:17 CEST the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Reggio Calabria assured us they would launch a rescue mission. At 22:19 CEST, MRCC Reggio Calabria told us they found a boat and will investigate further. At 00:40 CEST, MRCC Reggio Calabria informed us that all 45 people are on board Grande Italia (IMO: 9227912), a cargo vessel heading to Greece. According to Windy the wind was blowing East to West - towards Italy, not away, so it was unlikely that the boat would have been blown 42km into Greek waters. At 06:42 CEST MRCC Reggio Calabria said the Cargo ship is heading to Kalamata, when we asked why the people weren't brough to Italy the officer told us to ask the Greek authorities about it. At 08:08 CEST we called the Hellenic Coast Guard, namely the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Piraeus, to clarify why the people were being brought to Greece instead of Italy, who told us they do not have to report to us.

See our tweets about this case here.