Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 11th of February 2024

Case name: 2024_02_11-EASTERN MED - 067

Situation: 27 people stranded on Çiplak island between Turkey and Lesvos, found by Turkish Coast Guard

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded 

Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:
Shortly after midnight on 11th February, Alarm Phone was contacted by a concerned relative, alerting us to a group of about 40 people in distress on Çiplak, a small Turkish island between Turkey mainland and Lesvos. The relative reported that the group crashed on the island and the people were sick and suffering from hypothermia. We reached out to the group who confirmed all the information and asked urgently for help.
At 00:22 CET we alerted the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) via email and phone, the TCG confirmed the reception of the alert.
At 02:09 CET we called the group again, they gave us their position, which had not moved and told us that their clothes were soaked and they were freezing.
We updated the TCG, who told us that they were also in contact with the migrants and would pick them up in the morning as the operation would be dangerous at night. The next day the TCG confirmed that they had found the group, who consisted of 27 people, and had taken them to land.