07/12: 71 travellers rescued to Chios

08.12.2017 / 20:02 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th of December 2017

Case name: 2017_12_07-AEG322
Situation: 71 travellers in distress on their way to Greece, rescued to Chios.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On Thursday the 7th of December, at 5:09am, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a contact person to a group of travellers in distress on their way to Chios. We did not get any more information, but the contact person forwarded us their phone number and position, showing that they were close to Chios, in Greek waters. At 5.25am we managed to reach the travellers. They were shouting for help, but did not speak English. We tried to call them back with an Arabic interpreter, but this did not work. An hour later they informed us via WhatsApp that they were okay, and had been rescued by the Greek coast guard. This information was confirmed by the contact person. In a tweet it was announced that a boat with 71 people just arrived on Chios, amongst them 38 children and 14 women. We assume that this must be the boat we were in contact with.

Last update: 21:01 Dec 10, 2017

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