02/07: 10 travelers missing between Algeria and Spain. Arrived in Spain.

03.07.2021 / 17:42 / Western Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 2nd July 2021

Case name: 2021_07_02-WM642
Situation: 10 travelers missing for four days. Left from Ghazaouet, Algeria towards Spain. Arrival to Spain confirmed by family members.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On the 2nd of July 2021 at 08h00 CEST, the Alarm Phone was alerted to a missing boat that had left from a beach close to Ghazaouet, Algeria towards Spain around 23h00 local time on the 29th of June. According to the relative who called us, there were around 10 people on board of the white and red boat. After the first call, several other relatives contacted our hotline, searching for information about the travelers. At 09h44 CEST, we informed the Spanish Search and Rescue organization Salvamento Marítimo (SM) about the case. There were rescues by SM that could fit the case, but we were not sure, and SM did not confirm to start another search mission for our case. The next day, 3rd July 2021, at 20h30 CEST, we received information from SM about a rescue that could have matched our case, but they did not give us any details and referred to the Red Cross. The next day, on the 4th July, a relative informed us that the travelers had arrived to Spain. We updated SM about this via e-mail.

Twitter Chronology:
03.07.2021, 09h48 CEST: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1411230298889756677

04.07.2021, 22h15 CEST: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1411780686684508162?s=09

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