OPERATION - 15-29 March 2022

13:55 Ocean Viking leaves the port of Marseille, France.

08:30 Ocean Viking stops to conduct drills at sea.

11:08 Drills complete, Ocean Viking recovers all RHIBs.

13:13 Ocean Viking stops to resume drills at sea.

15:23 Drills complete, Ocean Viking recovers all RHIBs.

14:38 Ocean Viking docks in Syracuse, Sicily.

13:42 Ocean Viking leaves Syracuse bay, Sicily

19:18 Ocean Viking stops to perform night drills at sea.

21:15 All RHIBs recovered. Training completed. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

09:33 Ocean Viking spots a wooden boat, possibly in distress, during lookout from the bridge.

09:40 Ocean Viking altered course heading to the distress case.

09:45 Ocean Viking calls JRCC Tripoli, no answer.

09:58 Ocean Viking informs JRCC via email, with ITMRCC and MTRCC in copy, of the potential distress case and intention to launch the RHIBS to investigate.

10:05 Ocean Viking launches a rescue operation.

Ocean Viking assessed the situation with 2 RHIBs: the rubber boat is unseaworthy, overcrowded, with about 30 people on board, no lifejackets, all exposed to the elements.

10:16 Ocean Viking informs JRCC via email, with ITMRCC and MTRCC in copy, to inform about the situation.

10:30 Ocean Viking rescues 30 persons from distress in the Libyan SRR.

Rescue position: 33 05.7 N 014 43.8E

Latitude: 33.095
Longitude: 14.73

10:45 All RHIBS are recovered on board MV Ocean Viking.

10:49 Ocean Viking informs by email JRCC Tripoli about the completion of the rescue.

12:08 Ocean Viking sends a Maritime Incident Report and request for a Place of Safety to LYJRCC with ITMRCC and MTRCC in copy.

13:14 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email from Alarm Phone to LYJRCC alerting to a boat in distress in Libyan SRR.

13:20 Ocean Viking alters course heading towards the reported distress case.

13:50 Ocean Viking tries to call LYJRCC via satellite phone, no answer.

13:55 Ocean Viking receives a VHF call on Channel 16 from an unidentified aircraft informing they have visual contact of a boat in distress and providing coordinates of the distress position.

The coordinates were matching the last reported distress position sent by Alarm Phone.

14:00 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, with MTRCC and ITMRCC in copy, informing that she is proceeding toward the reported distress position.

14:27 Ocean Viking has visual contact with a boat appearing to be in distress in the position indicated by the aircraft.

14:31 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, with MTRCC and ITMRCC in copy, informing of visual contact with a rubber boat possibly in distress.

14:49 Assessment with two RHIBS ascertains that the rubber boat is in distress.

The rubber boat is unseaworthy, overcrowded with approximately 100 people on board, taking water. People do not wear lifejackets, all are exposed to the elements.

14:52 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, with MTRCC and ITMRCC in copy, alerting to the distress case and informing that she will provide immediate assistance.

15:19 Ocean Viking launches a third RHIB to assist the critical rescue operation

The situation is quickly worsening due to weather condition and the unseaworthiness of the rubber boat in distress.

15:45 Ocean Viking starts evacuation of survivors.

17:05 Ocean Viking completes the rescue.

Rescue position: 33 15 N 013 55 E

Latitude: 33.25
Longitude: 13.91666

17:20 Ocean Viking starts a recovery operation of two dead bodies found at the bottom of the rubber boat.

17:50 One deceased person is recovered onboard Ocean Viking.

18:03 The operation to recover the second deceased person is aborted due to worsening weather conditions and safety risks on the crew.

18:33 All RHIBs are recovered. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

18:52 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, with MTRCC and ITMRCC in copy, informing of the completion of the rescue. 

22:24 Ocean Viking sends a request for a Place of Safety for the survivors onboard to LYJRCC, with MTRCC and ITMRCC in copy.

01:45 Ocean Viking sends a request for a Place of Safety to MTRCC, with ITMRCC in copy, requesting assistance in the designation of a Place of Safety.

12:09 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC, with MTRCC and LYJRCC in copy, requesting assistance in the designation of a Place of Safety for the survivors onboard.

04:40 Ocean Viking sends an email to Telesoccorso CIRM requesting an urgent medical evacuation of a pregnant woman.

07:21 A medical evacuation of a patient onboard Ocean Viking is completed by an Italian coastguard helicopter.

Ocean Viking in position: 37 29 N 015 43 E

08:33 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC, with MTRCC in copy, requesting assistance in the designation of a Place of Safety for the remaining survivors onboard.

18:10 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC requesting assistance in finding a Place of Safety for the survivors onboard.

10:47 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC requesting assistance in finding a Place of Safety for the survivors onboard.

12:18 Ocean Viking is instructed to proceed to Augusta, Italy, for the disembarkation of survivors.

15:38 Ocean Viking docks in the port of Augusta, Italy.

19:07 The disembarkation of survivors in Augusta, Italy, starts.

19:50 The disembarkation of survivors is stopped for the day. All unaccompanied minors are disembarked.

09:15 The disembarkation of survivors resumes in Augusta, Italy.

10:00 The disembarkation of 159 survivors in Augusta, Italy, is completed.