02/11: ~100 people in distress in international waters, rescued by SAR vessel

03.11.2021 / 13:32 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – November 2nd 2021

Case name: 2021_11_02-CM611

Situation: ~100 people, including women and children, in distress in international waters rescued by SAR vessel of SOS Mediteranée

WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of Case: In the morning of November 2nd Alarm Phone was called by a group of 100 people, including women and children in distress who had departed Al Khoms in a rubber boat. We received an incomplete GPS position from the caller and were unable to re-establish direct contact to the boat. At 08.00 CET a relative called us, alerting us to the same group of people in distress, providing a complete GPS position. We forwarded the alert to authorities at 08.20 CET. Throughout the morning we related updated GPS positions provided by the group in distress and the relative to authorities. At 11.25 CET the SAR vessel of SOS Mediteranée confirmed they had found the boat. Half an hour later we received information that the SAR vessel was going to start rescue of the 100 people.

Last update: 22:51 Jun 08, 2022

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