01/02: 47 people coming from Libya, rescued by Armed Forces of Malta and reached Europe

02.02.2020 / 16:04 / Central Mediterranean

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 1st of February 2020

Case name: 2020_02_01-CM229
Situation: two boats started from Libya, one with 100 people reached Open Arms, 17 people intercepted to Libyan war zone
Status of WTM Investigation: concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case: On 1st February at 03:36h CET a call from a satellite phone came in. The travellers informed the shift team that they started nearly 24 hours earlier from Zuwara in a wooden boat and that problems with the engine occuring from time to time. We passed the GPS position to RCC Malta at 04:54h, they stated to already know about it. Shortly after an email was send to the competent authorities as well as to the reconnaissance aircraft Moonbird and the NGO rescue vessel Open Arms. When RCC Malta was called 06:17h they reported to be busy and then ended the call soon. The next GPS position at 07:32h showed that the boat is drifting which was reported to RCC Malta via email at 07:44h. The travellers told the shift team that they would have no life wests and that the engine in not working. The people had been on the water since 30 hours now. One hour later the Alarm Phone tweeted “We just talked to the people on the boat. They say there is water entering the boat and they are very afraid that no one will come to help them. Some people cry in the background. They are asking for help and they need urgent rescue! Why is nobody searching for them?” At 09:24h the officer of RCC Malta informed the shift team that they are working south of Lampedusa with vessels and planes and the closest asset would be 4 hours away. They gave no clear confirmation that a rescue operation is ongoing. In the next hours the Alarm Phone stayed in close contact to the travellers. They were tired and afraid that the boat will deflate. The aircraft Moonbird spotted a boat at 10:22h, the travellers confirmed to have seen a white airplane, therefor the GPS position provided by Moonbird were correct and reported to RCC Malta. The travellers provided the Alarm Phone with regular updates of their position and within the next hours it got clear that the boat is drifting south, back to war zone Libya. At 12:16h Moonbird communicated a new position to the competent authorities and at 13:05h Malta confirmed they will send a ship with estimated time of arrival in 1,5 to 2 hours. The travellers called the Alarm Phone regularly and a position was transferred at 14:16h and was passed to RCC Malta at 14:31h via email. Within a phone call 20 minutes later the officer informed about a cargo vessel nearby the situation. The situation onboard got worse, people panicking and water was about to enter the boat. A new GPS position was transferred to RCC Malta at 15:27h. Another GPS position was provided to RCC Malta at 16:17h. Half an hour later RCC Malta called the Alarm Phone to tell they didn’t found a boat on the position. But the Alarm Phone got a call from the travellers at 17:00h who stated to see two boats approaching them. One were grey with P52 written on it and a red and white flag and the other one were a bigger one. After this communication the contact was lost. When the shift team called RCC Malta at 18:45h they reported that all travellers are safe and the rescue is ongoing. 47 people reached Europe after 40 hours in distress!
Last update: 14:31 Mar 06, 2020
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

Related Reports

15:07 May 03, 2020 / Central Mediterranean Sea Kms
02/05: 90 people left from Zuwara, rescued by merchant vessle Marina
10:03 Aug 10, 2019 / Central Mediterranean Sea, Libya Kms
09/08: Boat carrying 45 people in distress off Libya, rescued by Open Arms
09:21 Jan 22, 2022 / Central Mediterranean Sea Kms
21/01: 54 travellers rescued by rescue NGO vessel Geo Barents