23/12: 14 people in distress, rescued and brought to Almeria

24.12.2020 / 14:08 / Western Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 23rd December 2020
Case name: 2020_12_23-WM541
Situation: 14 people leave Oran and are rescued to Almeria
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean

Summary of the Case:
Just after 16:00h CET on 23 December 2020, we were contacted by the worried relative of somebody on boat in distress closed Almeria. They told us that the boat had been carrying 14 people, including at least two women and two or three children. They were unsure when the boat had left, but they knew that it had left from Oran in Algeria. They also told us that the motor of the boat had broken down and the people were drifting. We made many attempts to contact the boat, but were unable to. This forced us to phone the Spanish Search and Rescue authority, Salvamento Maritimo, in Almeria without a position. The Salvamento Maritimo officer said they could do nothing without a position.
We continued trying to reach the boat, but were unable to. Our contact person was able to find a second number for the boat. It did not allow us to talk to the travelers, but we passed it on to Salvamento Maritimo who, this time, said that there were a lot of boats in the area, but they would search.
Just after 18:00 our contact, the relative, was able to speak to somebody on the boat. He was not able to get a GPS position, but did establish that they were close to Las Negras, itself near to Almeria. We passed that information to Salvamento Maritimo by email and were able to observe their vessel, the Salvamar Spica, searching in the area. Unfortunately, Salvamento Maritimo were not able to find the travelers before nightfall.
We tried to reach the boat throughout the night and the following morning without success. At around midday, we spoke to Salvamento Maritimo who confirmed that the search was ongoing. Shortly before 14:00 our contact got in touch to tell us that he had heard from his relative and the boat was being rescued. This was confirmed by Salvamento Maritimo. Boza, welcome to Europe!

Last update: 18:37 Apr 26, 2021

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