“No telephone notification has ever been received to any articulation of the Coast Guard by the migrants, present on board the aforementioned boat, or by other subjects as happens in similar situations”. This is what the Coast Guard specifies regarding the press reports on the shipwreck of migrants that took place off the coast of Crotone.
“On the evening of Saturday 25 February, a Frontex aircraft sighted a unit sailing in the Ionian Sea. The unit appeared to sail regularly, at 6 knots and in good buoyancy conditions, with only one person visible on the deck of the ship – he continues – The Frontex aircraft sent the report to the national contact point in charge of law enforcement, informing, among others, for information, also the Operations Center of the Coast Guard in Rome”.
“Following this report, the Guardia di Finanza communicated the successful activation of its device, already operating at sea, to intercept the boat – he adds – At about 4.30, some telephone reports reached the Coast Guard from persons present at related to a boat in danger a few meters from the coast. The carabinieri, previously alerted by the finance police, arrived in the area, reported the shipwreck to the Coast Guard”. “This is the first emergency information received by the Coast Guard regarding the vessel sighted by Frontex aircraft,” he notes.
The Coast Guard underlines that “no telephone report has ever been received by any branch of the Coast Guard from the migrants, present on board the aforementioned boat, or from other subjects as happens in similar situations”.
“Following the reports received, the Sar device was immediately activated, under the coordination of the Reggio Calabria Coast Guard, with the dispatch of naval and air vehicles, men and land vehicles, in the indicated area – he concludes – The research and rescue at sea continue without interruption also with the use of teams of divers and with the assistance of the firefighters and the Police Forces”.