Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations 4th and 5th of August 2015

Case name: 2015_08_04/05-WM37
Situation: Two vessels in distress in Western Med, intercepted by Moroccan Navy
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco

Summary of the Cases: In the evening of the 4th of August 2015, at approximately 10.20pm, we received a call from someone located in Morocco who told us that his friends, a group of 11 travellers, had left Morocco in the early morning. He had lost contact to them and was worried about their well-being. We contacted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo and told them about the case. As previously agreed, we received and passed on the phone number of one of the travellers to Salvamento. For many hours, no new information about the whereabouts of the group could be obtained. Finally, in the afternoon of the following day, our contact person informed us that his friends had been intercepted and returned to Tangier.

On Wednesday the 5th of August 2015, the Alarm Phone was contacted at approximately 4.11am by a person who told us that his 7 friends were on a vessel in the Western Mediterranean Sea. They had left around 1am from Cap Spartel/Morocco and he lost contact to them. He said he would reach out to us again once contact to the travellers could be re-established. We contacted Salvamento Maritimo and informed them about the vessel. At 6.50am, Salvamento was unwilling to inform us whether or not they had launched a rescue operation and did not provide further information about the case. At approximately 7.31, Salvamento confirmed that they had sought to reach the passengers but that their phone was switched off. A few minutes later, we were called again by the contact person who said that the group had been intercepted by the Moroccan Navy.