OPERATION – 14 - 22 July 2024

18:05 Ocean Viking is departing from Marina di Carrara.

17:36 Ocean Viking receives an email from Alarm Phone about a boat in distress.

18:16 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Malta. MRCC Malta requests an email.

18:18 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Malta to inform about the distress alert and that she is proceeding towards the distress case.

19:25 Ocean Viking makes an initial assessment of the distress case.

The assessment:
the fiberglass boat is unseaworthy, inapt for navigation in high seas, overcrowded with about 40 people on board all exposed to the elements, no Life Saving Appliances available.

19:32 Ocean Viking informs MRCC Malta about the assessment and that the RHIBs will be launched for a closer assessment.

20:03 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Malta the closer assessment.

The email states:
Please be informed that at 1745 Z Ocean Viking RHIBs assessed the situation: the fiberglass boat is unseaworthy, inapt for navigation in high seas, overcrowded with about 40 people on board, including 3 children, one guy with a broken leg, all exposed to the elements, no Life Saving Appliances available.
These people are requesting to be rescued.

20:10 Ocean Viking rescues 38 shipwrecked persons.

Latitude: 34.8986111
Longitude: 12.9275

20:33 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Malta (ITMRCC in CC) about the recovery of the people in distress.

21:32 ITMRCC designates Napoli as the Place of Safety.

00:35 Ocean Viking receives an email by Alarm Phone informing about a boat in distress.

00:52 Ocean Viking calls ITMRCC via Sat Phone.

Ocean Viking informs ITMRCC about the distress alert and requests authorization to divert the course. ITMRCC acknowledges the PoS postponement.

01:19 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Malta to inform about the situation.

01:19 Ocean Viking calls MRCC Malta. No answer

01:52 Ocean Viking emails MRCC Malta (ITMRCC in CC) the assessment of the RHIBS.

The assessment:
the fiberglass boat is unseaworthy, inapt for navigation in high seas, overcrowded with about 20 people on board, all exposed to the elements, no Life Saving Appliances available. These people are requesting to be rescued.
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 MV Ocean Viking will proceed to the
assistance of these persons in distress.

02:33 Ocean Viking completes the recovery of 17 shipwrecked persons.

Latitude: 35.0472222
Longitude: 12.469444444444443

08:40 Ocean Viking docks in Napoli.

09:26 Disembarkation starts.

10:42 Disembarkation is complete.

14:20 Ocean Viking departs from Napoli.

19:30 Ocean Viking docks in Syracuse.