17/10: Two boats in distress in the Aegean, one rescued to Turkey, one rescued to Greece

18.10.2018 / 11:31 / Aegean Sea

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

Case name: 2018_10_17-AEG443
Situation: Distress situation in the Aegean Sea
Status of WTM Investigation: Closed
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday the 17th of October 2018, the Alarm Phone assisted two boats in distress in the Aegean Sea. One was returned to Turkey, the second one rescued to Greece.

Boat 1: At 7.58pm CET, our shift team received a GPS position of a boat in distress in the Aegean Sea with 10 people on board. The position showed them still in Turkish waters. The person passing on the information stated that they were in serious distress and the Turkish coastguards should be notified immediately. After we were not able to reach the boat directly, we called the Turkish authorities at 8.15pm and informed them about the situation. A few minutes later we were able to reach the boat directly. They told us that they were in severe distress. We received a new GPS position at 8.23pm and passed it on to the Turkish coastguards at 8.25pm. The coastguards confirmed that they had sent a rescue vessel to the position of the boat. From 8.30pm onward, we were in frequent contact with the boat and we assisted them in staying calm while awaiting rescue. At 8.52pm, our initial contact person confirmed their rescue by the Turkish coastguards and we received the same information by the coastguards at 9.42pm.

Boat 2: At 9.16pm, our shift team received information via a contact person about a boat moving to Kos Island/Greece, carrying about 15 people, including children. Shortly after we received their GPS position, showing them already close to the island. We reached the people on the boat at 9.27pm. The situation was distressing, with many children crying and people being very anxious. We informed the Greek coastguards at 9.20pm and passed on all the information we had received. They promised to search for the boat. We then stayed in touch with the boat, informing them about the rescue procedures and asking them to stay calm. We received a new position at 9.30pm which we passed on to the Greek authorities – and while doing so the people on the boat stated that they could see the vessel of the Greek coastguards. Our contact person shortly afterwards confirmed their rescue to Kos Island.

Last update: 11:35 Oct 28, 2018

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