OPERATION - 18 June-7 July 2022

12:40 Ocean Viking departs from the port of Marseille, France 

08:45 Ocean Viking stops to perform drills at sea.

All three Rhibs are in the water.

11:17 All Rhibs recovered. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

14:30 Ocean Viking stops to conduct drills at sea.

17:10 All Rhibs are recovered. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

09:27 Ocean Viking stops to perform “ready for rescue” drill at sea.

All Rhibs in the water.

11:07 All Rhibs are recovered. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

21:30 Ocean Viking stops to perform drills at sea.

All three Rhibs are in the water.

22:40 All Rhibs recovered. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

16:15 Ocean Viking spots a boat possibly in distress in the Libyan SRR.

16:22 Ocean Viking informs Libyan maritime authorities about the situation.

16:28 Ocean Viking ascertains the presence of a distress phase with one RHIBs in the water.

The fiberglass boat is unseaworthy, with about 15 people on board, no lifejackets, all exposed to the elements and seeking for help.

distress phase: the boat and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance.

16:30 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC to report on the situation. No answer.

16:31 Ocean Viking informs via email JRCC Tripoli about her intention to perform the rescue.

16:57 Ocean Viking rescues 15 survivors from a fiberglass boat in distress.

Among the survivors are 6 unaccompanied minors.

Rescue position: 33 17.4N 012 19E

Latitude: 33.29
Longitude: 12.31666

17:04 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC informing of the rescue completion.

17:10 Ocean Viking resumes navigation and waits for further instructions.

18:28 Ocean Viking sends a Maritime Incident Report and request for a Place of Safety to LYJRCC with ITMRCC and MTRCC in copy.

14:11 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email from Alarm Phone to the relevant authorities alerting to a boat in distress with ~70 people on board. 

14:31 Ocean Viking alters her course to the last known position of the distress case.

14:38 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC via Satellite phone. No answer.

14:45 Ocean Viking emails LYJRCC to inform of her intention to sail to the reported distress case.

16:19 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email from Alarm Phone with updated GPS coordinate of the reported distress case.

16:20 Ocean Viking spots a rubber boat in the water and launchs RHIBS to investigate. The team onboard the RHIBS finds an empty rubber boat adrift.

16:32 Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC with MTRCC and ITMRCC to update on the situation.

14:00 Ocean Viking receives a call on channel 16 from a fishing vessel about a boat in distress.

14:05 Ocean Viking alters course heading to the target.

14:06 Ocean Viking calls the LYJRCC. The communication is broken.

14:10 Ocean Viking informs via email LYJRCC about the situation.

14:55 Ocean Vikings spots a rubber boat in the water from the bridge, possibly in distress. Three RHIBS are launched to investigate the situation.

15:02 Ocean Viking emails LYJRCC to update about the situation.

15:15 Ocean Viking ascertains the presence of a distress phase with 3 RHIBs in the water.

The rubber boat is unseaworthy, overcrowded, with about 80 people on board, no lifejackets, all exposed to the elements.

distress phase: the boat and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance.

15:18 Ocean Viking calls the LYJRCC to report on the situation. No answer.

15:21 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC to inform about the rescue.

15:57 Ocean Viking completes the rescue of 75 survivors.

Among the survivors are 19 women and 44 minors. Among them 17 are unaccompanied, 5 are under 10 years old, 3 under 5 years old and one baby under 1 year old.

Rescue position: 33 28N 013 55E

Latitude: 33.46666
Longitude: 13.91666

16:13 All Rhibs are recovered onboard the Ocean Viking.

16:18 Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC to update about the situation.

16:20 Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

19:28 Ocean Viking sends a Maritime Incident Report and request for a Place of Safety to LYJRCC with ITMRCC and MTRCC in copy.

22:57 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email from Alarm Phone alerting MTRCC and ITMRCC to a boat in distress in the Maltese SRR.

23:16 Ocean Viking calls via Satellite Phone MTRCC to inform the coordination center about the case and readiness of the Ocean Viking to provide assistance. The duty officer requires to please reach them by email.

23:36 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to inform about the situation.

04:24 Ocean Viking calls MTRCC to report the search of the opened distress case. The duty officer asks to reach them by email in case of any relevant update.

04:54 Ocean Viking investigates the latest known position of the opened distress case.

05:21 Ocean Viking is in copy of an email intended to the MTRCC and ITRCC with an updated position of the opened distress case.

05:34 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to update on the situation.

07:10 Ocean Viking spots from the bridge a rubber boat in the water, possibly in distress.

07:18 Ocean Viking launchs two RHIBS to assess the situation.

07:29 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to update on the situation.

07:40 Ocean Viking ascertains the distress phase with two Rhibs in the water.

The rubber boat is unseaworthy, overcrowded, with about 70 people on board, no lifejackets, children, women, all exposed to the elements. Sponsons are deflating.

distress phase: the boat and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance.

07:45 Ocean Viking calls via Satellite phone the MTRCC on three different numbers to update about the situation. No answer.

07:53 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to update on the situation.

08:25 Ocean Viking rescues 66 survivors.

Among the survivors are 11 women and 34 minors. Among them 28 are unaccompanied, and 3 children are under 5 years old.

Rescue position: 34 41 N, 013 07 E

Latitude: 34.68333
Longitude: 13.11666

08:50 Ocean Viking calls three times via Satellite phone the MTRCC to inform about the situation and request for instructions. No answer.

08:57 All RHIBS are recovered on board.

09:04 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to inform about the rescue.

09:05 Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

11:21 Ocean Viking sends a Maritime Incident Report and request for a Place of Safety to MTRCC with ITMRCC and LYJRCC in copy.

09:11 Ocean Viking alters her course to the last known position of the distress case.

09:50 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC via Satellite phone. No answer.

09:55 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC with MTRCC and ITMRCC to inform them about the opened distress case.

12:00 Ocean Viking spots an echo on radar and alters the course towards the radar echo.

12:40 Ocean Viking spots a wooden boat in the water, possibly in distress.

12:43 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC via Satellite phone. No answer.

12:45 Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC with MTRCC and ITMRCC to update on the situation.

12:55 Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC to inform about the situation and her intention to perform the rescue.

13:00 Libyan Cost Guard Patrol Vessel 656 arrives on the scene and establishes communication on ch.16/13 with the Ocean Viking bridge.

13:15 Ocean Viking completes the rescue of 49 survivors.

Among the survivors are 2 women and 11 minors. All minors are unaccompanied.

Rescue position: 34 06.8 N 012 35.2 E

Latitude: 34.11333
Longitude: 12.58666

13:25 All RHIBs are recovered on board. Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

20:39 Ocean Viking receives a call on VHF channel 16 from the aircraft asset Seabird relaying a MAYDAY message about a boat in distress requiring immediate assistance.

20:49 Ocean Viking alters her course to the last known position of the distress case.

20:52 Ocean Viking calls MTRCC to report about the search of the opened distress case. The duty officer asks to reach them by email to communicate information regarding the situation.

21:05 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to inform on the situation.

21:32 Ocean Viking receives an update email from “Aircraft Seabird” about opened distress case.

23:05 Ocean Viking spots a very weak echo on radar about 2NM distance, with no speed, without correspondence with any lights in the horizon. Ocean Viking alters the course toward the echo position to investigate.

23:30 Ocean Viking spots a boat, possibly in distress.

23:35 Ocean Viking launches 1 RHIB to assess the situation and ascertains the distress phase.

The fiber boat is unseaworthy, rolling dangerously on the sea, no lifejackets, all exposed to the elements. The people on board are in danger and the distress phase exists.

23:40 Ocean Viking calls MTRCC to report about the search of the opened distress case. The duty officer asks to reach them by email to communicate information regarding the situation.

23:50 Ocean Viking completes the rescue of 8 survivors.

Among the survivors are 2 unaccompanied minors.

Rescue position: 34 54 N, 012 42 E

Latitude: 34.9
Longitude: 12.7

00:15 Ocean Viking receives a call on VHF Ch. 16/06 from “SY IMARA” stating that they have located the boat in distress from Seabird’s MAYDAY RELAY.

The boat is adrift, unseaworthy, very low Freeboard, with about 15 person on board seeking for help. The people on board are in danger.

00:20 The characteristics of the rescued distress boat do not match with the case reported by the airplane “Seabird” in the Mayday relay call previously listened on VHF channel 16. Ocean Viking resumes search operation.

00:30 Ocean Viking calls MTRCC to report about the search of the opened distress case. The duty officer acknowledges information and asks to reach them by email to communicate information regarding the situation.

00:48 Ocean Viking completes the rescue of 14 survivors.

Among the survivors are 3 women and 5 minors. Among them 4 are unaccompanied.

Rescue position: 34 52.6 N, 012 50.1 E

Latitude: 34.87666
Longitude: 12.835

01:00 All RHIBs are recovered onboard, Ocean Viking resumes navigation.

02:07 Ocean Viking sends an email to RCC Malta to inform that the rescue is complete.

15:27 Ocean Viking sends a request for a Place of Safety for the 228 survivors onboard.

Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC and MTJRCC, with LYJRCC in copy, requesting assistance in the designation of a place of safety for the 228 survivors onboard.

14:08 Ocean Viking alters its course to head to the boat reported in distress.

Ocean Viking in position 35 14 N 012 41 E, ETA 5 hours.

14:28 Ocean Viking calls RCC Malta to inform about the case and about its intention to head towards it.

14:42 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC about the search and the open distress case.

17:10 Ocean Viking reiterates her request for a Place of Safety to ITMRCC.

17:30 Ocean Viking spots two empty boats. Easy 1 is launched to investigate the boats. They are marked “CP308 01072022”.

Ocean Viking in position 35 10 N 012 07E

18:47 Ocean Viking recieves an email from Alarm Phone with an updated position for the boat reported in distress.

Ocean Viking in position 34 53 N 012 03 E, ETA 3 hours from the updated position.

19:40 Ocean Viking sends an email to MTRCC to inform about the new position.

21:50 Ocean Viking receives an email from Alarm Phone with new information regarding the boat in distress.

Alarm Phone reports that the people in distress can see an oil platform with a ship nearby. The description corresponds to the Miskar Platform 34 22 N 011 52 E. The ship Maridive 601 is near the platform.

21:57 Ocean Viking calls Maridive 601 nearby Miskar platform to ask if they can see the boat in distress. They have a visual.