Latest information:

All survivors were able to go ashore in Genoa.

Last update: 20 August 2024, 1 p.m. CEST

Rescues

5
Survivors

333
Medical evacuations

2

Spotted! For four of the five boats, a distress call was received from another civilian organisation. One boat was detected by the crew on radar.
The boats were heavily overcrowded, unseaworthy and had no rescue or navigation equipment. Some of the boats were already full of water and smelled strongly of fuel. One boat deflated during the rescue.
Medical situation:The survivors were severely exhausted, dehydrated and mentally stressed from their escape. Many showed signs of physical violence. Some people lost consciousness on board. Two people had to be evacuated for medical reasons.
As port of safety the authorities assigned Civitavecchia – 953.78 kilometres away – for the disembarkation of the survivors of the first rescue. Some of the people from the other rescues were brought ashore in Sicily by the Italian. To disembark the remaining survivors, the Humanity 1 had to travel 1,240 kilometres to Genoa.

Such- und Rettungseinsätze

Details:

On 27 June 2024, the Humanity 1 leaves the port of Syracuse and prepares on board for the mission. Still very close to the Sicilian coast, east of Syracuse, the crew conducts RHIB training at sea during the day and at night and practises other scenarios such as mass casualties and food distribution in order to be fully operational soon.
Notification of distress at sea: discovered by the crew via radar in the early morning

Location: Libyan search and rescue zone, 111 kilometres north of Tripoli

Condition of the boat: white, fibreglass boat without life jackets or other rescue equipment, overcrowded, not seaworthy,

Number of people rescued: 60 + 1 cat

Medical condition: The people are exhausted and some suffer from dizziness, but they are in a stable state of health. At least one woman is pregnant.

Weather: very good visibility, light breeze, calm, rippled sea, no swell
Notification of distress case: Information received by email

Location: Libyan search and rescue zone, around 66 kilometres north of Zuwara

Condition of the boat: small overcrowded and unseaworthy rubber boat with a defective engine, without rescue equipment, filled with water

Number of people rescued: 13

Medical condition: several cases of saltwater fuel burns, one man with breathing problems

Weather: very good visibility, light breeze, calm, rippling sea, high temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius
Notification of distress case: reported from the Colibri reconnaissance aircraft

Condition of the boat: overcrowded and unseaworthy rubber boat, low in the water and unstable; during the rescue it loses air and people end up in the water.

Number of people rescued: 117

Medical condition: Several people are dehydrated, exhausted and seasick or have injuries. One person briefly loses consciousness on board, but can then be stabilised.
Notification of distress case: Reported by the Colibri reconnaissance aircraft

Condition of the boat: overcrowded fibreglass boat without rescue equipment

Number of people rescued: 23

Medical condition: Those on board are severely exhausted. One person is in an extremely critical medical condition. He loses consciousness for several minutes. There is a suspicion of organ failure. One woman is pregnant.
After a total of four rescues yesterday, one survivor was in an extremely critical state of health. According to the assessment of our doctor on board, he was at risk of organ failure and urgently required intensive care on land.

We contacted the responsible authorities to arrange a medical evacuation. Later we contacted the Maltese Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) for further information. They first hung up the phone. Then they informed us they did not have the capacities. They even failed to pass on vital information promptly to the Italian RCC. Finally, after repeated requests and several hours, the Italian authorities initiated an evacuation. It was only at the insistence of our crew that two family members – one of them a minor – were allowed to accompany him.
The Italian authorities instructed us to transfer some of the survivors to the Italian Coast Guard. They were brought ashore directly.

This meant a lot of pressure for our care team, who had to decide which people could leave the Humanity 1 today and which had to stay on deck for another three and a half days in the extreme heat. There is a risk that relatives and friends who embarked on the perilous journey together could have been separated.
After a journey lasting over four days, the Humanity 1 has reached the port of Genoa in northern Italy today. The crew is relieved that the 200 survivors can finally set foot on safe ground, although some had to be taken directly to hospital. We wish them all the best.

Yesterday, a thunderstorm followed the extreme heat of the previous days. Heavy rain, thunder, lightning and hail made the journey difficult for our crew and especially for the survivors, who stayed on the deck of the ship.