17/01: Thirteen travelers in distress between Al Hoceima and Motril, rescued by Salvamento Marítimo.

18.01.2021 / 16:23 / Western Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 17th of January 2021
Case name: 20210117-WM552
Situation: Thirteen travelers (all men) in distress in the Spanish SAR zone between Al Hoceima, Morocco, and Motril, Spain. Rescued and brought to Motril by Salvamento Marítimo.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On the 17th of January 2021 at 14:27h CET, the Alarm Phone was informed about a rubber boat in distress, carrying thirteen travelers, all men. A friend of them informed us and passed us their phone numbers. Our shift team tried to call them but did not get through. At 14:56h CET, we informed the Spanish Search and Rescue Organization Salvamento Marítimo (SM) in Almería and passed them the phone numbers on board. We continuously tried to call the travelers but without success. At 17:00h CET, we talked to SM Almería on the phone, but they did not have any update for us. At 18:55h CET and at 21:00h CET, we asked again for an update, but SM Almería did not pass us any information. During the night, there were no news from the travelers. The next morning at 09:39h CET, the friend who had alerted the Alarm Phone in the first place informed us that the people had been rescued by SM and brought to Motril.

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