OPERATION - 17 March-4 April 2023

08:30 Ocean Viking leaves the port of Syracuse, Sicily.

14:00 Ocean Viking starts drills at sea.

16:18 Drills completed.

19:36 Ocean Viking starts drills at sea.

20:36 Drills completed.

08:40 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email from “Watch The Med – Alarm Phone” alerting to a boat in distress. There is a reasonable certainty that the persons on board the case boat are threatened by grave and imminent danger of being lost at sea and require immediate assistance.

Ocean Viking in position 33 18,40N 013 52,90E receives the following information from Watch The Med – Alarm Phone: “GPS-position with timestamp: N 332145 E 0134556 @ 08:40 CET 25 March. 70-84 people (including 5 women, and 3 children) Water is entering, the rubber boat is starting to deflate.”

09:01 Ocean Viking sends an email to Tripoli JRCC to report about the distress case and to inform that Ocean Viking is proceeding towards it (about 7 NM away) ready to provide first assistance.

Ocean Viking in position 33 18.4 N 013 52.9 E sends the following email to the maritime authority:

“Dear Sirs, Madams,

At 0740Z Ocean Viking, in position 33 18.4N 013 52.9E, received by email the attached distress alert from Alarm Phone (see email below)

MV Ocean Viking is proceeding towards the Target, about 7NM away, ready to provide first assistance.

MV Ocean Viking COG 296

MV Ocean Viking will keep you informed.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message and inform of your SAR action plan.

Best regards

Bridge

Ocean Viking”

09:15 Ocean Viking as a visual on a LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 sailing high speed towards the boat in distress.

09:22 Ocean Viking receives a VHF calls from the aircraft Seabird 2 from Sea-Watch.Org informing that they are heading to the boat in distress.

09:25 Ocean Viking has a visual on the boat in distress.

09:29 Ocean Viking calls LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16 in English and in Arabic multiple times. No Answer.

09:33 Ocean Viking continues to call LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16. No Answer.

09:35 LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 approaches the boat in distress, about 4.5NM from Ocean Viking.

Ocean Viking in position 33 22.8N 013 47.7E

09:40 Ocean Viking continues to call LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16. No Answer.

09:45 Ocean Viking continues to call multiple times LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16. No Answer.

09:48 Ocean Viking calls LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16 to ask for its intention and inform that the boat in distress has a sponson that is deflating and need to be rescued without delay. No Answer.

09:50 LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 aggressively approaches Ocean Viking from the bow, showing guns, and stops at less than 150mt at Portside midship. Ocean Viking continues to call LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16 in English and in Arabic. No Answer. Ocean Viking starts to maneuver away from them.

Ocean Viking in position 33 25.0N 013 46.8E

09:53 Ocean Viking calls multiple times LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 on VHF ch16 in English and in Arabic to ask to stop shooting and to inform that Ocean Viking is leaving the area. No Answer.

09:55 LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 contacts Ocean Viking on VHF ch16 in Arabic language ordering to sail to 034 direction, declaring Ocean Viking was in ‘Libyan waters’ despite current position being in international waters (36NM NE of Tripoli). Ocean Viking increases speed and replies, in Arabic, to LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 via VHF ch16 to keep clear as leaving the area.

09:56 LYCG Patrol Vessel 656 continues to fire gun shots in the air.

09:58 Ocean Viking maneuvering towards direction 034 with 11.7Kts. Ocean Viking crew has not been injured during the gun shots. Seabird 2 still flying on scene of distress case.

11:29 Ocean Viking sends an email to Tripoli JRCC to report the incident that happened in LYSRR, international waters.

Ocean Viking in position 33 35.0N 013 55.6E

17:38 Ocean Viking sends the Maritime Incident Report with the timeline of events to the Tripoli JRCC, with the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the Norwegian ministry of justice and public security, ITMRCC and RCC Malta in copy.

“Dear Sirs, Madams,

Please find attached the Maritime Incident Report of the event occurred to the MV Ocean Viking in the LYSRR on the 25^th march 2023.

MV Ocean Viking position at 1534Z: 33 43N 013 19E

Please acknowledge receipt of this message.

Best regards

Bridge

Ocean Viking“

15:46 Whilst in the Libyan SRR, Ocean Viking spots an overcrowded white rubber boat with about 90 shipwrecked people on board, with an erratic steering. The distress case is confirmed by the aircraft Colibri 2 from Pilotes Volontaires. Apprehension exists as to the safety of the persons on board.

Ocean Viking in position 33 58N 012 37E. There is a reasonable certainty that the persons on board the boat are threatened by grave and imminent danger of being lost at sea and require immediate assistance.

15:47 Ocean Viking calls via VHF CH16 the Bouri oil field multiple times, no answer. Ocean Viking calls via VHF CH16 Almisan to ask permission for entering the No Go Area as the boat in distress was on the edge of it. No answer from Almisan.

16:07 Ocean Viking sends an email to Tripoli JRCC (with ITMRCC, MTRCC, and the Norwegian Maritime Authority in copy) to report the distress situation and to inform that Ocean Viking RHIBs are going to be launched as soon we have the greenlight for closer assessment.

16:32 Ocean Viking launches the Rhibs as the rubber boat in distress is exiting the No Go Area of the Bouri oil field.

Ocean Viking in position 33 54.8N 012 34.7E. The rubber boat is inapt for navigation in high seas, overcrowded with about 100 shipwrecked people on board, sponsons are deflating, all shipwrecked people exposed to the elements, without lifejackets. 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.

16:42 Ocean Viking sends an email to Tripoli JRCC (with ITMRCC, MTRCC, and the Norwegian Maritime Authority in copy) to report the distress situation.

16:53 Ocean Viking Rhibs starts the evacuation of the people in distress from the rubber boat.

17:26 The evacuation of 92 survivors onto Ocean Viking is complete.

Ocean Viking in position 33 54.5N 012 34.1E

Latitude: 33.54
Longitude: 12.34

17:36 Ocean Viking sends an email to Tripoli JRCC (with ITMRCC, MTRCC, and the Norwegian Maritime Authority in copy) to inform that Ocean Viking completed the recovery operation of the persons in distress.

18:04 Ocean Viking sends an email to request a Place of Safety to JRCC Tripoli to promptly disembark teh 92 survivors who are currently on board.

(as defined in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the IMO Resolution MSC.167(78))

18:15 Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC designating Salerno, Italy, as Place of Safety for the 92 survivors onboard.

20:25 Ocean Viking sends the Maritime Incident Report with the timeline of events and the medical report to Tripoli JRCC, with the Norwegian Maritime Authority, ITMRCC and RCC Malta in copy. Ocean Viking also informs about the ETA to Salerno Harbour, confirmed by telephone to ITMRCC duty officer at 1832UTC as ship’s email system had a technical problem.

17:37 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC to update the ETA in Salerno due to weather condition.

08:15 Disembarkation of the 92 survivors onboard Ocean Viking starts in Salerno.

10:11 Disembarkation complete.

12:28 Ocean Viking leaves the port of Salerno, Italy.