04/07: 54 people in distress off coast of Libya, rescued by NGO Mediterranea to Lampedusa

05.07.2019 / 19:08 / Central Mediterranean Sea, Libya

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 4th of July 2019
Case name: 2019_07_04-CM172
Situation: Boat in distress in the central Mediterranean Sea
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Thursday the 4th of July 2019, the Alarm Phone was called by a rubber boat in distress at 15.57h CEST. The people said they had left from Zawiya in Libya the evening before and were about 55 people in total, including 11 women and 4 children. At 16.07h, we informed the so-called Libyan coastguards and NGOs in the vicinity.

At 16.09h, the people in distress informed us that the boat was taking in water. At 16.29h, the NGO Mediterranea informed us as well as Italian and Libyan authorities that they would assess the situation of the boat in distress as they were in the vicinity of the boat. In response, at 16.54h, the Italian MRCC stated that the Libyan authorities would take charge of this distress situation and that MRCC Rome would not be in charge for this SAR event. At 16.55h, we informed the people in distress that authorities and a NGO were informed.

Mediterranea’s vessel Alex, first at the scene of distress and with no Libyan vessels in the vicinity, spotted the boat and conducted a successful SAR operation for 54 people, including 11 women (3 of whom were pregnant) and 4 children.

Alarm Phone tweeted about this rescue operation: “The 54 people in distress were rescued by the #ALEX rescue vessel by #Mediterranea. A Libyan patrol boat arrived later, first intimated ALEX to stop, then left the scene. Congratulations on this successful #SAR operation - now they need disembarkment in a safe port! #safepassage”

Mediterranea’s Alex then brought the people to a port in Lampedusa.
Last update: 18:07 Aug 08, 2019
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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