Latest information: 

The new crew prepared intensively for the mission. In the port and at sea, they completed medical training and exercises on the speedboats to be prepared for emergencies. Our two ships meet for the first time in port: our large rescue ship Humanity 1 and our sailing ship Humanity 2. On 19 November, the crew leaves the port of Syracuse and sets off for the area of operation with Humanity 1.

Notification of distress case: information form Alarmphone

Location: Tunisian search and rescue zone

Condition of boat: unseaworthy, overcrowded wooden boat without live-saving equipment, broken engine.

Number of survivors: 75

Medical condition: The survivors suffer from dehydration, hypothermia, exhaustion and seasickness, one person with hypoglycaemia.

Weather conditions: critical weather conditions, high waves and storm

The Italian coastguard disembarked the rescued people from the Humanity 1 via transshipment using one of their patrol boats. The people were taken to Lampedusa – and we were able to set off straight away for the search and rescue area to be ready for further operations.

Notification of Distress Case: Boat spotted from the lookout

Location: Libyan Search and Rescue Region, about 100 kilometres off the Libyan coast

Condition of boat: Blue wooden boat with three engines which are not running, overcrowded, and unseaworthy

Number of survivors: 85

Medical condition: Survivors are exhausted, some of them are seasick and suffering from dehydration and mild hypothermia, some persons have pain in their legs or suffer from fuel burns.

Weather conditions: Slightly unsettled, 0.5 meter waves

Chronology and Communication with authorities:

09:14 CET Whilst in the Libyan search and rescue region in position 33° 54’ N 012° 58’ E, motor vessel (MV) Humanity 1 spots a potential distress case in approx. 10nm distance with an unknown number of people on board.

09:31 CET MV Humanity 1 makes a first assessment from the lookout, identifying a small to medium sized overcrowded boat

09:41 CET MV Humanity 1 launches RHIBs (fast rescue boats) to assess the situation.

09:42 CET MV Humanity 1 informs the Italian Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Rome), the Maltese Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Malta) and the German Flag state (MRCC Bremen) via e-mail about the boat in distress and intention to provide assistance.

09:46 CET MV Humanity 1 receives the first assessment from the RHIBs confirming the distress case: an unseaworthy, overcrowded, blue wooden boat adrift, with three engines, none of which are running and around 70 people in distress on board. There is no life-saving equipment on board, people are exposed to the elements, and it smells of fuel.

09:48 CET Life jacket distribution starts.

09:56 CET MV Humanity 1 sends an email to MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta and MRCC Bremen confirming the distress case and informing that MV Humanity 1 will provide immediate assistance to the persons in distress and rescue them without delay in compliance with international law.

10:04 CET First persons in distress start embarking on the RHIBs.

10:08 CET First persons embark from the RHIBs to MV Humanity 1.

10:21 CET MRCC Rome requests MV Humanity 1 via E-Mail to contact JRCC Libya as the rescue took part in the Libyan search and rescue region.

10:49 CET All 85 survivors are safely recovered on board MV Humanity 1.

10:59 CET MV Humanity 1 in position 33° 52’ 29’’ N 013° 00’ 18’’ E informs MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta and MRCC Bremen via e-mail about the completion of the rescue and requests a place of safety for the 85 survivors. MV Humanity 1 states that MV Humanity 1 is bound by the full scope of international regulations governing search and rescue operations. In light of Libya not constituting a Place of Safety for people rescued from distress at sea to be disembarked and the Libyan RCC not being a competent authority to coordinate search and rescue operations in line with international standards, MV Humanity 1 cannot engage in any operational coordination with the Libyan authorities, nor can we facilitate or consent to the disembarkation or transfer of rescued persons to Libyan ports. Such actions would directly contravene MV Humanity 1 legal obligations according to international law. Furthermore, as the LY JRCC coordinates the so-called Libyan Coast Guard who is responsible for shooting at people in distress and humanitarian ships at sea, coordinating with the LY JRCC poses a security threat to MV Humanity 1.

11:15 CET Both RHIBs are recovered on board MV Humanity 1.

Today, our rescue ship Humanity 1 reached the Italian port city of Ortona. After almost a week at sea, the 85 people rescued by our crew from distress at sea were finally able to disembark here.

The Humanity 1 is prevent from leaving port towards the area of operation after the Italian authorities issued a provisional detention order to investigate whether Humanity 1 has violated the Piantedosi-law for not having communicated the the Libyan Rescue Coordination Centre.
The crew of Humanity 1 operated at all times in accordance with international maritime law, informing the competent search and rescue authorities and following its obligation to assist people in distress. As part of the largest alliance of search and rescue organisations to this day, the Justice Fleet Alliance, SOS Humanity deliberately suspended operational communication with the Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre because the so-called Libyan Coast Guard cannot be considered a legitimate search and rescue actor, as was this year confirmed by the Italian Court of Catanzaro.
The provisional detention order was issued by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the Guardia di Finanza and the Ministry of Transport. Humanity 1 is not allowed to leave port until the Prefect has investigated the allegations.