02/10: 61 people coming from Libya in distress, rescued close to Lampedusa

03.10.2019 / 16:34 / Central Mediterranean

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 02nd of October 2019

Case name: 2019_10_02-CM199
Situation: 61 travellers rescued to Lampedusa, Italy
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case:
On 2nd of October at 14:30 CEST a boat in distress, already located in Malta SAR zone, contacted us. On board there were 60 travellers, including 2 women - one of them was pregnant, the other one with a baby. They stated to have left Zuwarah, Libya the day before in the afternoon. We were also informed that water was entering the boat. At 14:42 CEST we alerted Italian authorities which refered us to RCC Malta which we phoned at 14:49 CEST. At 16:16 CEST the travellers called us again. They said the situation was critical. We informed RCC Malta about it at 16:21 CEST. They refused to confirm whether a SAR operation has been launched or not. We demanded immediate action! Especially because the next day strong winds and waves were expected. At 17:42 CEST we spoke to the travellers. They told us that they called RCC Malta which informed them about a rescue vessel on the move. One hour later the travellers informed us about navigation problems. And we received a new GPS position which we transferred to MRCC Rome at 19:02 CEST. Same happened at aroun 21:00 CEST and 22:16 CEST. The last call to the travellers ended with only one half of a proper position. We nevertheless informed authorities about it. Later on we couldn‘t establish contact to the boat anymore but tried to confirm the rescue with Lampedusa port authority. After midnight we learned that the 61 people reached Lampedusa nearly by their own and have been rescued by Italian Coastguard.
Last update: 18:40 Nov 10, 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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