Berlin, 29 August 2026. Yesterday, Friday, and early this morning, the crew of SOS Humanity’s new sailing vessel Humanity 2 rescued 71 people in distress in two rescue operations during its first mission in the Central Mediterranean. This marks the first time the civil search and rescue organisation has had two vessels in operation, four years after the Humanity 1’s first operation. Today around noon, the crew of the Humanity 2 disembarked the 71 survivors in Lampedusa which Italian authorities had assigned as a port of safety.  

The first rescue of 12 people in a small, unseaworthy fiberglass boat spotted by the crew in international waters off Libya took place Friday around noon (CEST). The four women and eight men on board had departed from Zuwarah, Libya, on Thursday evening and were travelling without life jackets or navigational equipment. The crew handed out life jackets and brought everyone safely aboard Humanity 2.   

While sailing north, the crew of the vessel encountered another overcrowded boat carrying 59 people in distress in the early hours of Saturday morning, at around 4:00 a.m. (CEST), all of whom were taken aboard. Many survivors were weak and dehydrated, and the medical team of Humanity 2 identified a total of three fractures among them. The people had departed from Libya Friday evening. Following instructions from the Italian authorities, Humanity 2 proceeded to the assigned place of safety, Lampedusa, where all survivors were disembarked around noon. 

Previously, in the morning of August 25, the crew had spotted 3 bodies among various unidentifiable floating objects. Due to the advanced state of decomposition of the bodies, it was not possible for the crew of the sailing ship Humanity 2 to retrieve them. Since August 14, different search and rescue organisations had discovered 27 bodies during their operations in the Central Mediterranean, taking the total number to 30. 

Images of the rescue and the sailing vessel can be found here. 

Expanding rescue capacities with a second vessel 

On Friday, August 21, 2026, Humanity 2 departed from Syracuse, Sicily, to begin its first mission. Prior to this first mission, the former sailing yacht had been converted for rescue operations over nine months by 101 volunteers at a shipyard in Licata, Sicily.  

“The humanitarian crisis in the Central Mediterranean continues to worsen, yet the public is no longer paying attention,” emphasizes Nina Geisler, Managing Director of SOS Humanity. “In the first quarter of 2026, more people drowned in the Central Mediterranean than in the same period of any other year since 2014. In August alone, dozens of bodies were found floating in the water or washed ashore on the Libyan coast. We owe it to our strong supporters and the unwavering commitment of civil society that we can now counter this catastrophe with a second vessel.” 

Advantages of a sailing vessel 

According to SOS Humanity, a motor-sailing vessel like Humanity 2 offers several advantages over larger rescue ships. The 24-meter-long vessel is not only flexible in operation but also enables shorter journeys: Disembarkation typically takes place in Lampedusa, as longer voyages with rescued individuals on board are not feasible. As a sailing vessel, the Humanity 2 is designed for short, flexible missions, is environmentally friendly and cost-effective to operate. It can respond quickly to distress calls, stabilise boats in distress, provide first aid, and, in emergencies, accommodate over 100 people, deliver emergency medical care in the onboard clinic, and bring them to a place of safety according to international law. The crew will also document witnessed human rights violations. 

For more information about the sailing vessel: Humanity 2 – SOS HUMANITY