SEPTEMBER 2023

4 September Louise Michel (LM) rescues 24 people from an unseaworthy wooden boat then spends the next 12 hours searching for a second boat with 44 people in coordination with AlarmPhone. They are finally found late in the night, many hours after losing contact with AlarmPhone. Weather conditions cause the LM to seek shelter in Lampedusa, though the 68 people onboard are forced to spend another 3 nights onboard the LM in difficult weather conditions for disembarkation in Trapani a few days later. Nadir and Mare*Go assists 2 unstable boats with around 100 people. In worsening weather conditions, one of the boat sinks as survivors are being transferred to the authorities; luckily everyone is retrieved safely from the water. AlarmPhone receives a distress call from 31 people in the Libyan SAR zone. Geo Barents locates the boat and brings everyone safely onboard. The distant port of Bari is assigned.
10 September AlarmPhone shares information about a distress case with 68 people that had departed from Zuwara. Ocean Viking finds the wooden boat and is assigned the distant port of Ancona, requiring another 4 days of navigation. Both Nadir and Sea Punk 1 respond to a boat with 39 people in poor medical condition. Survivors inform the crews that an additional 40 people are missing from a shipwreck they witnessed. Sea Punk 1 searches for the missing but is unable to find survivors. (1) During the night, 39 people are found on an iron boat. After distributing life jackets, the crew is ordered to accompany the boat towards Lampedusa. Soon, however, the boat begins to take on water, requiring the transfer of the survivors to the NGO vessel who are later safely disembarked in Lampedusa. 44 people are found by Sea Punk 1 in an unseaworthy boat. Nadir assists in bringing aboard everyone. After receiving medical attention, all 44 people are safely transferred to the Italian authorities.
12 September Over the course of the day, Nadir finds a total of 5 unstable boats and assists 239 people in distress in the Maltese SAR zone. The long mission required assistance by a cargo ship as the Italian authorities were overwhelmed with the arrival of more than 5,000 people near Lampedusa.
14 September Aurora rescues 84 people just south of Lampedusa, 1 of 16 cases spotted by Colibri 2 and alerted by AlarmPhone. Despite the nearness of the island, the distant port of Catania is assigned. Colibri 2 cooperates with RESQ People who respond to a boat in distress with 96 people. All are safely disembarked in Trapani.
16 September Over the course of 20 hours, Geo Barents rescues 11 boats and assists the Italian CG with an additional 4 boats. 471 people are brought onboard Geo Barents. Both Colibri 2 and Seabird provided critical air reconnaissance throughout the operations. Brindisi is assigned as the port of disembarkation. (2)
19 September Together with the help of Colibri 2, Aurora prevents a pullback to Libya and rescues 40 people. The survivors report that 4 people had drowned the night before. The distant port of Pozzallo is assigned, 370km away.
20 September AlarmPhone and Pilotes Volontaires coordinate to inform Louise Michel of a vessel in distress with 19 people in the Maltese SAR. Shortly after this, Louise Michel finds another boat and rescues the additional 16 people. (3)
21 September Sea Punk 1 finds 83 people on an unseaworthy iron boat. All are brought safely onboard the NGO vessel. Colibri 2 locates a boat in distress with 28 people after several hours of searching. Life Support responds and takes aboard the survivors. (4)
28 September AlarmPhone receives a distress call from 68 people in the Libyan SAR zone. Geo Barents locates the boat and brings them safely onboard.
29 September During search operations, Seabird and Louise Michel witness a violent pushback by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. The pushback occurred near Louise Michel, who was responding to a distress case alerted by the AlarmPhone. The 58 people who had contacted the AlarmPhone were brought safely onboard the Louise Michel, however, the fate of 50 others forcibly pushed back to Libya remains unknown. 41 people fleeing Libya contact AlarmPhone asking for help. Nadir coordinates with AlarmPhone and finds the wooden boat. After providing life jackets, the boat is accompanied to Lampedusa. Trotamar III comes across two boats, one of which had lost a motor. After stabilizing, the people are transferred to the Italian authorities and brought safely to Lampedusa.
30 September Over the course of the day, Open Arms performs 3 rescues and welcomes 178 people onboard in coordination with AlarmPhone, which had been contacted by two of the boats, and Seabird. The distant port of Genova is assigned, however those rescued are eventually disembarked in Carrara. Nadir responds to a mayday relay and takes onboard 22 people near Lampedusa. The distant port of Porto Empedolce, 40 hours and 215 km away, is assigned. Deteriorating weather requires Nadir to seek shelter in Lampedusa anyhow, which is where the survivors are eventually disembarked.

ECHOES Issue 9, November 2023 – English