OPERATION - 3-16 October 2019

SITUATION RECAP

Last update 16/10/2019 at 10h55 (All times in UTC+2)

– On the 12th of October, Ocean Viking rescued 74 people from a rubber boat in distress in the International waters of the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. The boat in distress was reported by Alarm Phone and later spotted by the FPSO at Al Jurf Oilfield, which informed Ocean Viking accordingly. Ocean Viking kept the Libyan JRCC continuously informed during the SAR event

– On the 13th of October, Ocean Viking was assigned by Libyan JRCC to participate in a search for a boat. Later the same day, Alarm Phone reported to the authorities and Ocean Viking a rubber boat in distress. Ocean Viking spotted rubber boat in distress roughly two hours later and rescued 102 survivors from a rubber boat in distress in the International waters of the Libyan Search and Rescue Region.. Ocean Viking kept the Libyan JRCC continuously informed during the SAR event.

– After Ocean Viking sent a request for a place of safety, Libyan JRCC offered Tripoli as a place of safety. Ocean Viking refused Tripoli as a place of safety since Libyan ports do not conform to the definition of place of safety and requested a place of safety to ITMRCC and MTJRCC

– On the 14th of October, ITMRCC assigned Taranto as place of safety

– On the 16th of October, Ocean Viking disembarked all 176 survivors at Taranto port

October 3, 2019

00:37 Ocean Viking confirms to Libyan JRCC that it will proceed to distress area

October 8, 2019

Upon entering the Libyan Search and Rescue Region, Ocean Viking sends a notice to the Libyan JRCC, informing of the vessel’s readiness to conduct SAR operations. Italian MRCC, Maltese MRCC and EUNAVFOR MED are also informed. Ocean Viking additionally provides the vessel’s technical specification.

MV Ocean Viking declares readiness for SAR operations in the Central Mediterranean Sea, South of Lampedusa and Malta, outside of Libyan territorial waters.

Actual position: 34°18.6’N – 012°11.7’E
Proceeding with COG 133° SOG 6.5 kts, remaining in international water at all times.

MV Ocean Viking

October 9, 2019

08:53 Ocean Viking spots small wooden boat adrift

Easy 1 is in water
and approaches wooden boat. Wooden boat is found empty and marked “02 Oct 2019
312”. Easy 1 returns to Ocean Viking

Ocean Viking sends e-mail to LYJRCC and reports empty wooden boat in position 35°45’N 013°58’E.

Ocean Viking proceeds towards South.

October 10, 2019

Ocean Viking is in position 33°09,7’N 014°04,24E, sailing at a speed of 6 knots

Wind N 10kn

Swell 1.5 m

Sea state 3

October 11, 2019

Ocean Viking is in position 33°09,3’N 014°10,0E, sailing at a speed of 5 knots

Wind N 17kn

Swell 0.7 m

Sea state 3

October 12, 2019

Ocean Viking is in position 33°22,5’N 013°22,7’E, sailing at a speed of 5 knots

Wind N 8 kn

Swell 0.5 m

Sea state 3

13:45 Ocean Viking stops in position 33°20,8’N 012°47,2’E to conduct drills at sea

Ocean Viking proceeds towards the Target

Ocean Viking informs by email LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC, MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR MED) about the email received from Alarm Phone:

“… At 1515Z M/V Ocean Viking changed Course towards the Target, at about 40NM away. COG 307°, Speed 12Kts ETA 1840Z
Ocean Viking will keep you informed as soon as there are more information.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message …“

Alarm Phone calls Ocean Viking on satellite phone to give an update on boat in distress. Ocean Viking alters Course accordingly.

17:49 Ocean Viking tries to call the Libyan JRCC but receives no response

17:50 Ocean Viking tries to call the Libyan JRCC but receives no response

Ocean Viking calls by satellite phone the three numbers of the Libyan JRCC. No answer.

It’s part of the duties of the Master to inform the RCC responsible for the SRR about the evolution of the situation : “keep the RCC informed about conditions, assistance needed, and actions taken or planned for the survivors (see paragraph 6.10 regarding other information the RCC may wish to obtain);” (Source: MSC 167(78) )

17:51 Ocean Viking tries to call the Libyan JRCC but receives no response

Ocean Viking is copied in an e-mail from Alarm Phone to ITMRCC with updated position of boat in distress. Ocean Viking alters Course accordingly

Ocean Viking sends email to LYJRCC:

“ … At 1635Z Ocean Viking received an updated position from Alarmphone via email.
Updated position is
N 33.47
E 12.05
Ocean Viking is Heading towards the possible boat in distress.
Ocean Viking position at 1716Z is 33°32.6’N – 012°29.6’E
Ocean Viking will keep you informed as soon as there are more information.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.“

FPSO calls Ocean Viking on VHF and reports a rubber boat in distress at her
stern in a distance of 1 cable

Ocean Viking gets permission to enter safety zone for rescue operation.

Ocean
Viking informs by email JRCC Libya (copying ITMRCC,
MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR
MED) about possible distress situation and that 2 RHIB will be launched in
water

21:06 The FPSO at al Jurf Oilfied and Ocean Viking exchange information about rubber boat

Ocean Viking informs by email JRCC Libya (copying ITMRCC, MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR MED) about possible distress situation and that 2 RHIB will be launched in water:

“ … Ocean Viking received instructions from Aljurf FPSO to approach the oil rig because there is a rubber boat adrift with about 50 people on board.
Ocean Viking position 33°49.9’N – 012°03.8’E
Ocean Viking is going to launch our RHIBs and investigate
We will keep you updated
Please acknowledge receipt of this message“

Easy 1 and Easy 2 assess condition of rubber boat. Rubber boat found in unseaworthy condition, without lifesaving appliances, overcrowded, people without lifejackets and strong smell of fuel.

To: Libyan JRCC
Cc: Italian MRCC, Maltese JRCC

“Dear Sirs,
We are informing you that at 1958Z we assessed the situation with 2 RHIBs: the rubber boat is unseaworthy,
overcrowded, with about 60 people on board, no lifejackets, all exposed to the elements, strong smell of fuel.
The people on board are in danger and I have every reason to believe that the distress phase exists.
The UNCLOS (Article 98) and SOLAS (Chapter V, Regulation 33-1) conventions as well as the IMO Resolution
MSC.167 (78) bound me to proceed to the assistance of the people on board the boat in distress. Therefore, I
inform you that M/V Ocean Viking will provide immediate assistance to these people in distress and rescue them
without delay.
My ship has the capacity to recover all of the people, to provide medical care and to transfer them to a place of
safety in a reasonable period of time.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message
Ocean Viking position 33°49.9’N – 012°02.8’E
Regards
Bridge”

Distribution of lifejackets finalized. Start to transfer survivors from rubber boat to Ocean Viking

Transfer of survivors from unseaworthy rubber boat with no lifesaving appliances to Ocean Viking is completed. Medical team provides medical care as required.

Latitude: 33.785
Longitude: 12.13583333

October 13, 2019

Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC, to inform of rescue completion.

LNCG instructs Ocean Viking to conduct a Search and Rescue operation in vicinity of Bouri oilfield area.

“
… I request your updated position and you proceed towards distress point to search and rescue a white boat with 20 people on board (11 children and 9 women) …
”

Ocean Viking proceeds towards the Target in distress

Ocean Viking
commences search pattern and continue the search during all night

02:27 Attempt to call Asso Ventinove on VHF, no reply

02:29 Attempt to call a Floating Storage Unit, no reply

02:32 After having been called by Ocean Viking, Asso Ventinove informs it has no information about the boat in distress

Ocean Viking calls
LNCG and requests further information about Target. LNCG has no further
information

Ocean Viking calls the Maltese JRCC to request further information. It is informed that the case has been handed over to the Libyan Navy Coast Guard.

Ocean Viking calls EUNAVFOR MED plane on VHF and exchanges information regarding boat in distress. EUNAVFOR MED plane does not have any new information.

Ocean Viking informs by email LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC, RCCMALTA and EUNAVFOR MED) about the email received from Alarm Phone.
Ocean Viking reports update on the search. No boat was found. Ocean Viking requests update and gives availability in case of further information.
Ocean Viking proceeds towards the Target position given by Alarm Phone

09:50 Ocean Viking sends an email to JRCC Libya, copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC, to request a Place of Safety for the 74 survivors

Ocean Viking informs by email LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC, MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR MED) about boat in distress and forwards position given by Alarm Phone.

Ocean Viking spots white rubber boat and informs by email LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC, MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR MED) about the situation and intention to investigate

Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC, MTJRCC and EUNAVFOR MED) about the situation and intention to investigate:

” … At 0950Z Ocean Viking spotted a rubber boat in the water, possibly in distress. The boat is overcrowded and people have no lifejacket … “

” … Ocean Viking is going to launch our RHIBs and investigate

We will keep you updated …”

Easy 1 and Easy 2 assess condition of rubber boat. Rubber boat found in unseaworthy condition, without lifesaving appliances, overcrowded, majority of men, women and children without lifejackets.

Ocean Viking informs
by email JRCC Libya (copying ITMRCC,
MTJRCC
and EUNAVFOR MED) about the distress
situation

Distribution of
lifejackets finalized. Start of transfer
from rubber boat to Ocean Viking

Transfer of 63 men, 12 women and 27 minors from unseaworthy rubber boat with no lifesaving appliances to Ocean Viking is completed

Latitude: 33.485
Longitude: 12.5525

Ocean Viking informs
by email LYJRCC (copying ITMRCC,
MTJRCC
and EUNAVFOR MED) about rescue completion

15:21 Ocean Viking receives an email from JRCC Libya designating Tripoli (Libya) as Place of Safety.

Ocean Viking informs LYJRCC by email, with ITMRCC, MTJRCC in copy,
that she cannot proceed to disembarkation in Tripoli (Libya) due to the fact that Libyan ports do not conform to the definition of place of safety.

Dear Sir,
We acknowledge receipt of your indication of Tripoli – Libya as PoS to disembark the survivors on board MV Ocean Viking.

As you know, under the International Convention on maritime search and rescue to which Libya is a state party, a rescue is only considered as completed once rescued people have been disembarked in a place of safety (As define in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the International Maritime Organization 2004 Rescue Guidelines)

It is within this framework that the European Commission and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued clear positions stating that currently Libya does not meet the criteria for being designated as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea (https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b8d02314.html

I understand that among the survivors on board there are people, including women, children, unaccompanied minors and pregnant woman, who say that if returned to Libya, they would be in danger of being subjected to severe abuses.

In light of this clear guidance and international law Provisions, we are not in a position to head towards a Libyan port, which cannot be considered as a place of safety for rescued people.

I respectfully request that, as the JRCC coordinating, you please provide with the indication of a place of safety which fulfils all requirements under all applicable international laws, where the 176 survivors can be safely and promptly disembarked.

Please find attached Maritime Incident Reports for the SAR operation conducted by MV Ocean Viking on the 13.10.2019

Currently there are 176 rescued people on board the Ocean Viking.

The breakdown of the survivors is as follows:
81% adults, 19% minors.
131 adult men, 12 adult women, 30 male minors and 3 female minors.
23 male minors are unaccompanied, and 7 women are single female travellers.

There are 4 pregnant women.
Medical team provided treatment as necessary.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message.

Regards

MV Ocean Viking

21:30 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTJRCC and ITMRCC, copying LYJRCC and Flag State, to request a Place of Safety for the 176 survivors

October 14, 2019

Ocean Viking proceeds to Taranto

October 16, 2019

Latitude: 40.47
Longitude: 17.22

09:35 Ocean Viking commences disembarkation of survivors

10:55 Disembarkation of survivors is completed