Operation 14-22 August 2026

10:15 Ocean Viking informs competent authorities of completion of the recovery operation and requests assignment of a Place of Safety

Dear Sirs, Madams,

Please be informed that, at 0815 UTC in position 34 23 N 012 59 E, MV Ocean Viking completed the recovery operation of the persons in distress. 50 (number to be confirmed) shipwrecked persons including children and woman, have been safely brought on board MV Ocean Viking.

The breakdown of the survivors and complete information will follow in Maritime Incident Report.

Empty rubber boat, grey/black colour, left adrift in this position and marked as “SAR CASE EAGLE 6 17/08/26 OV “.

At 08 12 UTC MV Ocean Viking call on VHF 16 Eagle 6, no answer.

MV Ocean Viking is requesting a place of safety (as defined in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the IMO Resolution MSC.167(78)) to promptly disembark all 50 ( number to be confirmed ) survivors who are currently on board.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message.

09:30 The Ocean Viking departs towards the Central Mediterranean

08:30 Ocean Viking overhears Frontex aircraft EAGLE 6 transmitting a Mayday Relay to Lampedusa Radio regarding a boat in distress

08:40 Ocean Viking acknowledges via Radio the Mayday Relay to EAGLE 6 and reports being approximately one hour from the distress case

Latitude: 3431
Longitude: 1300

08:45 Ocean Viking acknowledges the case via email to Maltese authorities

Dear Sirs, Madams,

At 06:30 UTC Ocean Viking, in position 34 31 N 13 00 E, received a distress alert by VHF on Channel 16 from Frontex asset Eagle 6 stating: “ MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY: VESSEL IN distress app 35 PPL ON BOARD, ADRIFT IN PSN 34 22 53 N 012 59 55 E MAYDAY RELAY OUT ”

There is a reasonable certainty that the persons on board the case boat are threatened by grave and imminent danger of being lost at sea and require immediate assistance.

At 06:31 UTC and 06:40 UTC MV Ocean Viking acknowledges the Mayday Relay of Eagle 6 over VHF Channel 16

At 06:40 UTC MV Ocean Viking called via Sat Phone Malta RCC (0035621809279); No Answer

MV Ocean Viking is proceeding towards the Target, about 10 NM away, ready to provide first assistance.

MV Ocean Viking COG 185, Speed 9.7Kts ETA 07:30 UTC

MV Ocean Viking will keep you informed.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message and inform of your SAR action plan.

08:50 Ocean Viking establishes visual contact with an overcrowded rubber boat in distress

09:00 Ocean Viking informs RCC Malta that the grey/black rubber boat is overcrowded with approximately 35 persons, including women and children, with no life-saving appliances. RHIBs launched for rescue

09:25 Final assessment confirms an overcrowded, unseaworthy rubber boat with no life-saving appliances, inadequate command and insufficient fuel, food and water. Persons on board request rescue

10:14 Recovery completed. All 55 survivors safely on board Ocean Viking: 42 men, 9 women and 4 children.

Latitude: 3423
Longitude: 1259

11:35 Ocean Viking overhears EAGLE 6 transmitting a new Mayday Relay regarding a vessel in distress with more than 30 persons on board

11:59 Ocean Viking informs all competent authorities that it has altered course towards distress case, approximately 66 nautical miles away

Dear Sirs, Madams,

At 09:35 UTC Ocean Viking, in position 34 22 N 012 51 E, received a distress alert by VHF on Channel 16 from Frontex asset Eagle 6 stating: “ MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY: VESSEL IN distress app 30 PLUs PPL ON BOARD, Heading NORTH 6 KTS IN PSN 33 52 N 011 42 E MAYDAY RELAY OUT ”

MV Ocean Viking swiftly altered Course Heading towards the Target, about 66 NM away, for further assessment and ready to provide first assistance.

MV Ocean Viking COG 280, Speed 9 Kts ETA 16:00 UTC.

At 09:42 UTC MV Ocean Viking called via Sat Phone Tripoli JRCC (002180910349739); No Answer

MV Ocean Viking will keep you informed.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message and inform of your SAR action plan.

13:48 Italian authorities assign the distant port of Ortona as Place of Safety for the 55 survivors on board Ocean Viking and instructs the vessel to proceed without delay

13:49 Ocean Viking informs Italian authorities that it acknowledges the assigned Place of Safety and is continuing its response to the open EAGLE 6 distress case

14:20 Ocean Viking requests a closer Place of Safety and informs Italian authorities that it remains engaged in the search of the open case

Dear duty officer,

MV Ocean Viking acknowledges your indication of Ortona as the place of safety for all 55 survivors currently onboard.

Pursuant to the information that RCCs should seek to obtain from the assisting ship, please note that MV Ocean Viking next intended Port of Call is Siracusa.

This vessel observes that the assigned port of Ortona is located at considerable distance from the area where the rescue operation took place; reaching such port entails a prolonged permanence of the survivors on board, with significant impact on the survivors well-being and this assisting vessel.

In light of the IMO Guidelines On The Treatment Of Persons Rescued At Sea and § 3.1.9 of 1979 SAR Convention, MV Ocean Viking invites your RCC and the national competent authority to make every effort to minimize the time survivors remain aboard this assisting ship and assign an alternative place of safety, closer to the area where the rescue operation took place and with minimum further deviation from the ships’ intended voyage, for the disembarkation of survivors to be effected as soon as reasonably practicable, while ensuring that this vessel is not subject to undue delay, financial burden or other related difficulties after assisting persons at sea.

While awaiting your RCC response to the above request, please find below the requested information:

1. Priority information to provide as allowance of PoS in Italy:

a. maximum sustainable and continuous speed; to be confirmed as soon as possible

b. ETA to Ortona Harbour; to be confirmed;

Please note that, at the moment of MV Ocean Viking is still engaged in active search for an open SAR case, MDR Eagle 6-OV02, (acknowledged at 09:47 via email)

At 11:49 UTC MV Ocean Viking calls via Satellite Phone MRCC Rome (0039 [REDACTED]) to inform about the ongoing search for this case and receives permission to delay arrival in the assigned PoS for this purpose.

This vessel will share an ETA as soon as the abovementioned case is closed and the voyage to Ortona is commenced.

All the SAR activities and information from this vessel has been duly communicated to competent authorities as for your instruction.

2. SITREP

a. People rescued: please find breakdown of survivors including their ages (Registration Rescue Report)

No medical emergency cases are reported at the moment; a medical report including medical referrals needs will be sent in a daily base and prior disembarkation.

b. Maritime Incident Report (MIR) will be sent as soon as possible.

3. Protection Team currently onboard MV Ocean Viking will soon take action to inform rescued people about the possibility of applying for International Protection on shore. We will inform you when information session is completed.

4. MV Ocean Viking is not equipped with VDR due to her tonnage being below 3000GT.

MV Ocean Viking remains at disposal for any further complementary request of information.

MV OCEAN VIKING in position 34 23 N 012 22 E, SOG 9.7 kts, COG 272°

14:21 Ocean Viking is copied on an ALBATROSS UNO communication reporting six dead bodies sighted between 11:56 and 12:07 UTC and their positions transmitted to Libyan Coast Guard

15:03 Ocean Viking receives confirmation from ALBATROSS UNO that distress case ADC100, believed to correspond to the EAGLE 6 Mayday Relay/MRE6-OV02, was intercepted by Libyan Coast Guard patrol vessel PB656

Dear Duty Officer,

As per our MAYDAY RELAY message sent at 1135 Z, at 1119 z our aircraft ALBATROSS UNO spotted a distress Case, which we assigned the reference number ADC100.

This case is believed to be the same as MAYDAY RELAY from EAGLE6 at 0940z and 1016z.

At 1242 Z, while our aircraft was back on scene of ADC100, we witnessed the interception of the distress case by Libyan Coast Guard PB 656 at position 34 06 N 011 43 E.

Under the International Convention on maritime search and rescue to which Libya is a state party, a rescue is only considered as completed once rescued people have been disembarked in a place of safety (as defined in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the IMO Resolution MSC.167(78) “Guidelines on the Treatment of Persons Rescued At Sea”)

The European Commission and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued clear positions stating that currently Libya does not meet the criteria for being designated as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea (https://www.refworld.org/docid/5f1edee24.html)

Recalling the obligations under Chapter 3 of the SAR Convention, we respectfully urge your RCC, as responsible SAR authority for the SRR where the interception took place, to cooperate with other RCCs capable of assisting to make the necessary arrangements to promptly identify the most appropriate place for disembarking the persons found in distress at sea.

We are sending this email in compliance with article 1, comma 2-octies of the Italian Decree-Law n.130 of 21 October 2020 (now Law n.173 of 18 December 2020) as modified by Italian Decree-Law n.145 of 11 October 2024.

We kindly request acknowledgement of receipt of this email and welcome any information you may provide regarding SAR action taken.

Best Regards,

Aerial Monitoring team

SOS MEDITERRANEE

Latitude: 3406
Longitude: 1143

15:05 Ocean Viking informs authorities that it considers the distress case closed and that it resumes navigation towards Ortona

16:36 Ocean Viking arrives in Ortona, Italy

19:36 All 55 survivors safely disembarked, Rescue completed.

17:00 Ocean Viking leaves Ortona

16:24 Ocean Viking overhears ALBATROSS UNO witnessing the interception of the distress case by a Libyan coast guard patrol boat

Latitude: 3423
Longitude: 1212