06/03: One boat rescued to Samos, one group stranded on Kalymnos

07.03.2019 / 11:24 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 6th of March 2019

Case name: 2019_03_06-AEG493
Situation: One boat rescued to Samos, one group stranded on Kalymnos
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Cases:

On Wednesday, 6th of March, we were alerted to a boat in distress that was eventually rescued to to Samos island as well as to a group of 16 travellers that was stranded on Kalymnos. They were safely fetched by the Greek Coast Guard.

At 5:41am CET we received a live-location via a contact person, but couldn’t establish a connection to the boat and find out the actual position. The location showed the boat close to Samos island. Last contact to the boat had been at 5:10am. At 6:33am we called the Greek Coastguard in Piraeus and sent them an email with the information. At 09:25am we called JRCC Piraeus again. They confirmed that the travellers were rescued to Samos Island.

At 7:38pm CET we were informed about a group of 15 travellers that was stranded in the east of Kalymnos island. At 7:51pm we managed to reach the group. Among them were 6 women and 3 children, including a baby. At 8:02pm we called the Police Station of Kalymnos, but couldn’t reach anyone. At 8:04pm we reached Kalymnos Port Authority. They stated they would already be on their way and would reach the group in about 30 minutes. We informed the travellers shortly after. As the travellers spoke arabic, we called again with a translator. At 8:35pm we informed the Port Authority and sent and email to the respective authorities including all information. The travellers informed us that they saw a boat of the Greek Coast Guard but they couldn’t understand what they were saying to them. At 9:23m we called the Port again. They said it would be difficult for them to access the group via the mountains, the travellers should go down to the beach and would be picked up by the Coast Guard. At 9:33pm we called and informed the travellers.
At 10:26pm we called the Port Authority again, but they said only that the rescue was ongoing, they couldn’t yet give further information. At 10:39pm we reached the travellers again: The travellers were then with the Coast Guard. At 00:12am, we called the authorities, and they confirmed the rescue of 16 people, including 6 women and 2 children.

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