22/09: 25 travelers in distress at Western Med, rescued by Salvamento Maritimo

23.09.2022 / 13:50 / Western Med

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 22nd of September 2022

Case name: 2022_09_22-WM054

Situation: 25 travelers in distress at the Alboran Sea, rescued by Salvamento Maritimo to Motril

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Alboran Sea

Summary of the Case: On Thursday the 22nd of September 2022, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted in the late morning by a relative to a group of 25 travelers in distress in the Alboran Sea. The travelers had left the evening before at around 21.00 CEST from Al Hoceima, Morocco towards Motril on a green boat. We were not able to establish direct contact to the people on boat. Around midday we relayed the information via E-Mail to the Spanish search and rescue organization Salvamento Maritimo. The relative informed us (at 13:45 CEST) about 47 people rescued and brought to Motril by Salvamento Maritimo, wondering if the 25 people were among them. He later confirmed that he was in contact with the people on the boat, who told him that they reached Motril now. Since we were still not able to establish a direct contact with the travelers we called Salvamento Maritimo to confirm. They confirmed (at 15:45 CEST) that they rescued 25 people from a green boat and brought them to Motril.

Last update: 14:29 Aug 10, 2023

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