15/11: 13 travellers in distress close to the Greek island of Ro, rescued

16.11.2017 / 00:26 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 15th of November 2017

Case name: 2017_11_15-AEG319
Situation: 13 travellers in distress close to the Greek island of Ro, rescued by Greek coastguard
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday the 15th of November 2017 at 4am, a contact person alerted the Alarm Phone to a boat in distress in the Aegean Sea, close to the Greek island of Ro, with 13 travellers on board. At 4.04am, we learned that their boat’s engine had started to work again, and at 4.15am, 4.19am and again at 4.46am, we received updated GPS position directly from the travellers. At 5.11am, we called the port police on the Greek island of Kastellorizo, who were already aware of the boat in distress, but were not able to provide us with any further information. At 8.32am, we called the port police again and asked for updates, but were referred to the headquarter of the Greek coastguard in Piraeus. In a call at 8.36am, the Greek coastguard in Piraeus then confirmed to us that 13 travellers had been rescued during the night and had most probably been brought to the port of Kastellorizo. At 8.47am, we tried to contact the travellers again, but did not reach them. However, at 9.45am, the contact person who had informed us about the boat in distress confirmed to us that they had been rescued by the Greek coastguard and that everyone was fine.
Last update: 10:55 Dec 09, 2017
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