16/08: 2 boats rescued to Spain

17.08.2018 / 18:03 / Western Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 16th of August 2018
Case name: 2018_08_16-WM312
Situation: 1 boat from Morocco intercepted by the Marine Royale
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: On August 16th, the Alarm Phone was alerted to two boats crossing the sea from Morocco. Both boats were successfully rescued and brought to Spain in the same rescue operation.

At 5.29am CEST, the Alarm Phone was contacted about a boat of 10 people (including 3 women). The boat was not reachable for several hours. At 8.10am, the shift team received the position of the boat. The shift team remained in contact with the boat throughout the morning. At 11.47am, the travelers requested that the Alarm Phone contact the Spanish coast guard, and so the shift team called Salvamento Maritimo with the information about the boat. At 13.28pm, the Alarm Phone received confirmation that the boat had been rescued and brought to Spain.

At 9.02am CEST, the Alarm Phone was contacted by a boat of 9 people (including 1 woman). The shift team remained in touch with the boat for several hours. At 12.12pm, per the travelers’ request, the shift team called Salvamento Tarifa. AT 13.28pm, the boat was rescued alongside the other one.

Last update: 17:27 Sep 11, 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