17/01: Alarm Phone in direct contact with 7 people in distress on their way from Libya to Sicily, rescued by a European vessel

22.01.2018 / 23:56 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 17th of January 2018

Case name: 2018_01_17-CM122
Situation: Alarm Phone in direct contact with 7 people in distress on their way from Libya to Sicily, rescued by a European vessel
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday the 17th of January 2018 at 6.02am, the Alarm Phone was directly called from a boat in distress with 7 people on board, who had departed from Abu Kammash / Libya. In another call at 6.16am, we received their GPS position that we forwarded to the Italian MRCC at 6.23am via phone. Afterwards, we charged the travellers’ satellite phone with 10 units and also provided the MRCC with all our information via email. One hour later, we realized that the travellers had used their phone again and we recharged it with another 20 units. At 8.05am, we called them again and received an updated GPS position. Beyond that, they told us they met a Libyan fisher boat and that they were waiting besides that boat, because the waves were very high. They were unsure if they should continue their journey or not. In another call with the Italian MRCC at 8.22am, we forwarded their updated GPS position and asked for further information. The officer asked us to call back in two hours, but assured us that they had informed their colleagues operating in the area of the boat in distress. Afterwards, we were not able to reach the travellers anymore, but in a third call with the Italian MRCC at 10.25am, we were told that the travellers were safe and had been rescued by a European vessel. Five days later, we learned from a contact person that it was indeed the boat we had been in contact with, that was rescued by the MRCC on that day. The travellers called him from Italy and were on their way to Rome.
Last update: 09:36 Feb 06, 2018
Credibility: UP DOWN 0
Layers »
  • 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

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