A family is looking for two young Algerians who tried to reach Formentera by swimming

FormenteraAn Algerian family is searching for Nouasser Abou Bakr Esseddik and his friend Chraita Noufel, both 27 years old and delivery drivers by profession, after, according to the account of several survivors, they jumped into the sea with life jackets to try to swim to Formentera from an irregular migration vessel. Their disappearance has already been reported in Algeria, but their whereabouts have not yet been confirmed.

According to the information that the relatives claim to have received from the survivors, the boat left Zeralda, in Algeria, on October 5th with 17 people on board. A few days later, on October 15th, they reportedly saw Formentera at a distance of about 25 miles, and Nouasser and Chraita supposedly put on their life jackets and separated from the vessel to swim together towards the island, before the rest of the group was rescued in Alicante waters.

"As long as we do not have official confirmation, we continue to maintain hope"

The family maintains, always according to the account they received from the other crew members of the boat, that four people died during the crossing and that their bodies were left at sea, while the other eleven survived and were rescued and transferred to the Doctor Balmis General University Hospital in Alicante between October 16 and 17. The relatives claim that three survivors, with whom they have spoken separately, confirmed to them that the two men abandoned the boat before the rescue. "That is why we are sure that my brother and his friend were on that boat," states a relative.

"We know that the situation is very difficult and that it would be extraordinary to find them alive after so many days without food or water. But, as long as we do not have official confirmation, we continue to hold out hope of finding them alive. Therefore, we ask that all hospitals be checked and that the fishermen in the area also be consulted," demands the family, who continue searching for their missing relatives on the migration route.

According to the description provided by the family, one of the two men was wearing a white t-shirt, blue shorts, and an orange life vest when he jumped into the sea. The relatives ask that anyone who may have seen them or has information about their whereabouts contact them or the authorities.

Two rescues in the waters of Alicante

At that time, official sources recorded two rescues in the waters of Alicante, without it being possible to confirm with certainty that Noussaer and Chraita were traveling on one of the two vessels before throwing themselves into the sea.

According to the information provided by Maritime Rescue, the Valencia Coordination Center received notice on October 16 from a vessel that had located a raft about 17 miles southeast of Calp. The rescue boat Fénix rescued eleven men and transferred them to the port of Alicante. During the return trip to the base, the same unit spotted a second precarious vessel with seven adult men. Maritime Rescue reports that, according to the account of its occupants, four people had died from starvation and two more had thrown themselves into the sea wearing life jackets.

Two different boats

At the same time, other official sources confirm the arrival in Alicante of two vessels during this period: one on October 16th, with eleven people, and another during the following early morning, around one o'clock, with seven occupants.

The coincidences between the family's account and the information about the rescues point to a possible connection between the events, but there are still questions pending clarification. It has not been officially confirmed that Nouasser and Chraita were sailing on one of the two vessels rescued in Alicante, nor that they are the two people who, according to the account of some survivors, threw themselves into the sea.

Search without results

Regarding these two people who threw themselves into the sea, according to the version of the survivors of the aforementioned boat detected off the coast of Alicante, Maritime Rescue activated a search to locate them. The search was active during the 20th and 21st of October, without results.

For its part, the National Police in Alicante has confirmed that it is investigating the events and is taking statements from the survivors to verify the circumstances of the crossing of a boat located on October 17 with 11 people, one of them a minor. For the moment, it has not provided more details about the identity of those missing or about the possible relationship with the rescued people.

Request for help

The family maintains their request for help and asks that anyone who has information about Nouasser Abou Bakr Esseddik or Chraita Noufel pass it on to the relatives or the authorities. If anyone thinks they may have seen Nouasser Abou Bakr Esseddik or Chraita Noufel, they can contact Ràdio Illa directly at: info@radioilla.cat or by phone: (+34) 971 07 23 31 and (+34) 971 07 23 32.

Protocol and cross-referencing of data between countries

Having consulted various sources regarding the procedure for notifying the Spanish authorities about the available data on the identity and disappearance of the two men, Ràdio Illa has noted difficulties in obtaining clear instructions. Sources from the Civil Guard press offices in the Balearic Islands, even after consulting with the corps' commanders, have not been able to specify how to proceed beyond recommending that family members file a report in person at Spanish police stations.

Red Cross and Civil Guard in Alicante

From Alicante, however, they have clarified that the procedure implies communicating all available details to the police authorities of the country of origin, including, if known, information about the vessel on which they might have traveled. According to what they have explained, this data can activate collaboration between police forces of different countries through Interpol and a cooperation platform that allows for cross-referencing information when a person or a lifeless body appears at sea. On the other hand, sources from the Red Cross of Ibiza have indicated that, due to data protection regulations, they cannot provide information about missing or located adult persons at sea, not even to their relatives, and that any inquiry must be directed to the Civil Guard.