Operation - 15 Oktober - 01 November 2024

19:30 Ocean Viking leaves Ravenna.

04:57 Ocean Viking receives a distress altert by email from Alarm Phone.

06:00 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Tunis via SatPhone. No answer

06:02 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Malta via SatPhone. Broken communication.

06:05 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Tunis via SatPhone. No answer

06:06 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Malta via SatPhone. No answer

06:11 Ocean Viking sent an email to MRCC Tunisia (MRCC Malta and ITMRCC in cc) to inform about the situation.

06:30 Ocean Viking receives an updated position from Alarm Phone via email.

07:01 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Tunisia (ITMRCC and MRCC Malta in cc) the updated position received by Alarm Phone.

07:34 Ocean Viking receives an updated position of the boat in distress from Alarm Phone by email.

08:05 Ocean Viking spotts a blue and white wooden boat that fits the distress alert.

08:42 Ocean Viking call MRCC Tunis informing of having visual on the distress case and seek for indication of the MRCC Tunis.

The duty officer informs that they are assessing the situation but gives no instruction.

08:44 MRCC Tunis calles Ocean Viking requesting position of the distress boat.

Ocean Viking informs of the approximative position of the distress which is about 4 to 6NM from Ocean Viking. MRCC Tunis informs that they are still assessing the situation. Ocean Viking provides a first visual assessment of the distress boat which is overcrowded, mooving dangerously, without saving appliances.

08:54 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Tunis (MRCC Malta and ITMRCC in cc) the first assesment.

09:21 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Tunis to report about the situation.

09:38 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Tunis (ITMRCC and MRCC Malta in cc) to confirm the distress case and inform about the start of the evacuation of the people in distress.

The email states the following:

Please be informed that at 09:15 Ocean Viking RHIBs assessed the situation: the wooden boat is unseaworthy, inapt for navigation in high seas, overcrowded with about 30 people on board, including children, all exposed to the elements, no Life Saving Appliances available.
These people are requesting to be rescued.

It is ascertained that the distress phase exists as the persons on board are threatened by grave and imminent danger of being lost and require immediate assistance.

This is a case of force majeure (ref. SOLAS Art. IV (b)) imposing to retrieve persons in danger of being lost at sea, as stipulated by the relevant International Maritime Conventions, therefore Ocean Viking will proceed to the assistance of these persons in distress, while keeping competent RCCs duly informed.

Ocean Viking has no information on any other vessels in the area which are capable/available to promptly recover these persons in distress and deliver them to a Place of Safety.

10:00 Ocean Viking completes the recovery of 25 shipwrecked people.

Latitude: 34.6347222
Longitude: 11.767222222222223

10:23 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Tunis (ITMRCC and MRCC Malta in cc) to report the completion of the rescue and the request of a Port of Safety.

13:26 Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC, assigning the Port of Civitavecchia as the pleace of safety.

19:29 Ocean Viking is at berth in Civitavecchia.

21:14 Disembarkation of the 25 survivors starts.

21:41 Disembarkation is complete.