10/03 Alarm Phone alerted to 106 people in distress off Libya, rescue confirmed

11.03.2018 / 21:40 / Libya

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 10th of March 2018

Case name: 2018_03_10-CM123
Situation: Alarm Phone alerted to vessel in distress off Libya
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On Saturday, the 10th of March 2018, our Alarm Phone shift team was alerted at 1.01pm by Father Zerai to a boat in distress off the coast of Libya. We received a phone number of one of the travellers and their GPS location. Despite several attempts, we were unable to reach them directly. However, we were able to recharge their Thuraya satellite phone with credit, so that they could still make emergency calls. We then informed the Moonbird SAR aircraft about the case and they promised to look for the boat. We also spoke to the SAR vessel of Proactiva Open Arms which was closest to the position of the boat in distress. They confirmed that they had already learned about the situation and were on their way. They said that there were 106 people on board. At 2.53pm, Moonbird confirmed the discovery of the vessel at a slightly different location. At that point in time, Open Arms was about 2 hours away from the location. At 4.19pm, Moonbird confirmed that a SAR operation had been launched by Open Arms.

Last update: 09:48 Mar 14, 2018

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