05/01: 2 Cases - 36 people arrived to Mytilene, Lesvos // 35 people rescued to Samos

06.01.2020 / 00:42 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 5th January 2020
Case name: 2020_01_05-AEG646
Situation: 36 people arrived to Mytilene, Lesvos // 35 people rescued to Samos
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases:

On 5 January 2020, the Alarm Phone was alerted to two different boats in the Aegean Sea: a boat with 36 travellers arrived independently to Mytilene, Lesvos; 35 people were rescued by the Greek CG to Samos.

At 07:41h CET on 5 January 2020, the Alarm Phone was alerted to a boat with 36 travellers heading towards the south of Lesvos. Communication was difficult. We were unable to get enough information from the travellers to call the Coastguard. At 09:57h the travellers informed us that they had arrived independently to Mytilene, Lesvos.

At 10:45h CET the Alarm Phone was informed about a boat of 35 people heading towards Samos. We contacted the Greek Coastguard (CG) who told us us they would launch a rescue operation. At 11:17h we were given a new position for the boat (in Greek waters) and updated the Greek CG. At 13:29h, the Greek CG confirmed that 35 travellers had been rescued to Samos at approximately 12:30h.

Last update: 10:03 Mar 04, 2020

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