13/09: Travellers in distress in the Central Mediterranean, rescued by merchant vessel

14.09.2016 / 12:29 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 13th of September 2016

Case name: 2016_09_13-CM84
Situation: 35 travellers in distress between Libya and Italy, rescued by merchant vessel
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Tuesday, the 13th of September 2016 at 7.25am, Father Mussie Zerai alerted the Alarm Phone to 35 travellers in distress in the Central Med, forwarding us their satellite phone number and position. We passed on the information to the Italian coast guard, who told us that they were already aware of the case. We were able to reach the travellers several times, but communication was difficult as the connection was very bad. We recharged the credit to make sure they were able to make calls themselves. At 9.14am the Italian coast guard informed us that a merchant vessel was next to the travellers, ready to carry out the rescue operation. At 10.53 the Italian coast guard confirmed that all the travellers were on board of the merchant vessel. Later we found out that the travellers had been transferred to an Italian coast guard boat together with 310 other travellers rescued the same day from four different vessels.

Last update: 18:52 Oct 07, 2016

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