Two vessels in distress in the Central Med, one rescue confirmed

30.07.2015 / 17:28 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigation – 29th of July 2015

Case name: 2015_07_29-CM37
Situation: One vessel in distress near Lampedusa/Italy, one between Turkey and Italy
Status of WTM Investigation: Case 1 concluded, case 2 open
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Wednesday the 29th of July 2015, we were alerted by Father Mussie Zerai to an emergency situation in the Central Mediterranean Sea, already close to Lampedusa/Italy. He passed on GPS coordinates of the vessel as well as a satellite phone number which, however could not be reached. We were able to recharge their phone so that they could continue to make use of it. Father Zerai had already informed Italian rescue services and, later one, informed us that the Italian coastguard had informed him that a vessel in vicinity would launch a rescue operation. A few hours later, MRCC Rome confirmed the rescue of the vessel, carrying about 500 people.

Later on, Nawal Soufi’s activist collective informed us about a second distress situation in the Central Mediterranean Sea where a vessel was trying to reach Italy from Turkey. They passed on a satellite phone number but, again, the phone could not be reached. We reached out to MRCC Rome and informed them about the emergency situation.

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