25/09: 2 cases: 2 women swimming close to Nimos, 30 travelers in distress close to Symi, all rescued to Greece

26.09.2019 / 16:27 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 25th of September 2019

Case name: 2019_09_25-AEG580
Situation: 2 women swimming, rescued to Greece, Approx. 30 travelers (15 children) in distress in close to Symi Island, rescued to Greece
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases:
On Wednesday, 25th of September 2019 the Alarm Phone was alerted in two cases of distress in the Aegean Sea.
The first alarm reached us at 10:05am CEST from two women swimming in Greek territorial waters north of Nimos Island. We alerted the Greek Coastguard and at 11:20am the rescue was confirmed by the husband of one of the women.
The second alert came in at 10:21pm from a boat close to Symi Island carrying 30 people, among them 15 children. They were rescued by the Greek Coastguard.

Case 1: At 10:05am CEST our shift team was informed via a contact person about two women swimming after losing their boat. Either their boat sank, or they fell into the water. We received a GPS location close to the north of Nimos Island and a phone number and the information that the Greek Coastguard had been close to them without rescuing them. We tried to contact them directly via phone call and WhatsApp messages and at 10:25am they answered that they needed help. We called the Greek Coastguard in Piraeus and passed them the information. At 10:33am we received a video message showing the women in the water. They were swimming but seemed to be holding on to something, as they were able to use their phones. At 10:43am we sent an e-mail with the collected information to the Coastguard. At 10:45am we passed on a new position we had received to the Coastguard and were told that they had sent out a patrol boat. We informed the women in the water about this. At 11:20am we received the confirmation of the rescue by the husband of one of the women.

Case 2: At 10:21pm CEST our shift team was alerted to a boat in distress, carrying approx. 30 people, and a GPS location close to the northern shore of Symi Island. When we spoke to the people at 10:28pm we learned they were 14 adults and 15 children. At 10:33pm we informed the Greek Coastguard in Piraeus and sent them an e-mail with the according information. At 10:40pm we talked to the travelers again to tell them the rescue operation was started and at 11:09pm they confirmed the rescue.

Credibility:

Border police patrols
While the exact location of patrols is of course constantly changing, this line indicates the approximate boundary routinely patrolled by border guards’ naval assets. In the open sea, it usually correspond to the outer extent of the contiguous zone, the area in which “State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws” (UNCLOS, art. 33). Data source: interviews with border police officials.
Coastal radars
Approximate radar beam range covered by coastal radars operating in the frame of national marine traffic monitoring systems. The actual beam depends from several different parameters (including the type of object to be detected). Data source: Finmeccanica.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Maritime area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, the seabed and its subsoil and the superjacent waters. Its breadth is 200 nautical miles from the straight baselines from which the territorial sea is measured (UNCLOS, Arts. 55, 56 and 57). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
Frontex operations
Frontex has, in the past few years, carried out several sea operations at the maritime borders of the EU. The blue shapes indicate the approximate extend of these operations. Data source: Migreurop Altas.
Mobile phone coverage
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network coverage. Data source: Collins Mobile Coverage.
Oil and gas platforms
Oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. Data source:
Search and Rescue Zone
An area of defined dimensions within which a given state is has the responsibility to co-ordinate Search and Rescue operations, i.e. the search for, and provision of aid to, persons, ships or other craft which are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger. Data source: IMO availability of search and rescue (SAR) services - SAR.8/Circ.3, 17 June 2011.
Territorial Waters
A belt of sea (usually extending up to 12 nautical miles) upon which the sovereignty of a coastal State extends (UNCLOS, Art. 2). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans