Two vessels in distress in the Western Med, both intercepted by Morocco

06.08.2015 / 19:38 / Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations 4th and 5th of August 2015

Case name: 2015_08_04/05-WM37
Situation: Two vessels in distress in Western Med, intercepted by Moroccan Navy
Status of WTM Investigations: Concluded
Place of Incidents: Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco

Summary of the Cases: In the evening of the 4th of August 2015, at approximately 10.20pm, we received a call from someone located in Morocco who told us that his friends, a group of 11 travellers, had left Morocco in the early morning. He had lost contact to them and was worried about their well-being. We contacted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo and told them about the case. As previously agreed, we received and passed on the phone number of one of the travellers to Salvamento. For many hours, no new information about the whereabouts of the group could be obtained. Finally, in the afternoon of the following day, our contact person informed us that his friends had been intercepted and returned to Tangier.

On Wednesday the 5th of August 2015, the Alarm Phone was contacted at approximately 4.11am by a person who told us that his 7 friends were on a vessel in the Western Mediterranean Sea. They had left around 1am from Cap Spartel/Morocco and he lost contact to them. He said he would reach out to us again once contact to the travellers could be re-established. We contacted Salvamento Maritimo and informed them about the vessel. At 6.50am, Salvamento was unwilling to inform us whether or not they had launched a rescue operation and did not provide further information about the case. At approximately 7.31, Salvamento confirmed that they had sought to reach the passengers but that their phone was switched off. A few minutes later, we were called again by the contact person who said that the group had been intercepted by the Moroccan Navy.
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

00:31 Apr 08, 2016 / Western Mediterranean Sea Kms
07/04 Alarm Phone alerted to 1 emergency situation in the Western Med
23:09 Jul 19, 2015 / Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco Kms
8 travellers intercepted by Moroccan authorities
15:12 Aug 16, 2015 / Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco Kms
2 Vessels in distress in the Western Med, rescued/intercepted by Morocco
11:42 Aug 25, 2015 / Western Mediterranean Sea, Morocco Kms
11 travellers intercepted by Morocco in the Western Med