OPERATION - 2-16 September 2019

SITUATION RECAP

Last update 14/09/2019 at 23h17 (All times in UTC+2)

-On the 8th of September, Ocean Viking conducted rescue of rubber boat in distress. 50 survivors safely onboard

-On the 9th of September, Ocean Viking conducted transfer from SV Josefa. 34 survivors safely onboard

-On the 11th of September a nine-month pregnant woman and her husband are evacuated to Malta via Helicopter

-On the 14th of September ITMRCC informed Ocean Viking to proceed towards Lampedusa as place of safety

-On the 14th of September at 23h17 Ocean Viking completed the transfer of the 82 survivors

September 2, 2019

Ocean Viking leaves the port of Marseille

September 3, 2019

Ocean Viking arrives in Barcelona for refueling.

September 4, 2019

Ocean Viking leaves the port of Barcelona after Bunkering operation and is Heading to the Central Mediterranean Sea

Easy 1 and Easy 2 are launched for rescue operation training

September 5, 2019

Easy 2 training with the raft
Easy 2 and Easy 3 training

Easy 2 and Easy 3 are launched for practice rescue training

September 6, 2019

Ocean Viking in position 37°16.4’N 011°19.8’E alters Course to SSE Heading towards the Libyan Search and Rescue Region

September 7, 2019

Ocean Viking noon position 7th September 2019

Ocean Viking is in position 34°56,9′ N, 012°41,1’E sailing at a speed of 8.7 knots.

Wind: NW 9 knots
Swell: 0.5-1 meters
Sea state: 3

SOS crew is launching the raft in the water for Easy 2

Easy 1 and Easy 2 are launched for practice rescue training

Upon entering the Libyan Search and Rescue Region, Ocean Viking sends a notice to the Libyan JRCC, informing of the vessel’s readiness to conduct SAR operations.
Italian MRCC, Maltese MRCC and EUNAVFOR MED are also informed.
Ocean Viking additionally provides the vessel’s technical specification.

”MV Ocean Viking declares readiness for SAR operations in the Central Mediterranean Sea, South of Lampedusa and Malta, outside of Libyan territorial waters.”

Ocean Viking receives an email from the Alarm Phone, informing both ITMRCC and the LYJRCC about a distress case.

Ocean Viking is in copy, quoted by Alarm Phone as vessel in the vicinity

23:37 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

23:38 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

23:39 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

Ocean Viking calls ITMRCC and MTJRCC by SAT phone.

Both RCC have no additional information about
the case

September 8, 2019

Ocean Viking sends email to LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC and MTRCC, with reference the distress alert raised by Alarm Phone, to inform that Ocean Viking changed Course towards the Target

At 23:35+0200 M/V Ocean Viking at position 33°56.5N 013°32.1E changed Course towards the Target, at about 60NM away.

COG 238, Speed 12Kts ETA 05:00 UTC+2

MV Ocean Viking

01:20 Ocean Viking receives an email from Alarm Phone with an updated distress position

Ocean Viking reaches last known distress position.

No Target is found.

Ocean Viking starts Expanding square search pattern from position 33°22 N 012°25E

“Dear Sirs,
Please be informed that at 05:27 UTC+2 Ocean Viking arrived in position 33°22’ N 012°25’ E.
No Target has been spotted.
We started the Expanding square search pattern.
I will keep you informed as soon as I have more information.
Please be advised that we are encountering technical problems with ship’s email viking.Bridge@hvessel.com which is
temporarily not receiving messages, please contact the ship with the followings: viking.captain@hvessel.com,
SAR@sosmediterranee.org (SAR Coordinator), logbook@sosmediterranee.org
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Best regards”

06:58 VHF call to EUNAVFOR MED Spanish aircraft to seek information. The aircraft replies it did not spot anything.

07:34 The Italian MRCC replies and advises to contact Flag State

08:38 The Ocean Viking tries to contact twice on VHF an Oil tanker ship in the vicinity without success

Ocean Viking calls EU patrol aircraft on VHF for a situation update.

Aircraft reports no Target has been spotted.

Dear Sirs,
We are informing you that at 07:01 UTC+2 we received an update via email from Alarm Phone stating:

“Hello,
we were just in contact with the boat,
updated GPS position is from 8:35 CET N 33.25 E 12.25
All best wishes,
Ina Fisher“

We are currently proceeding towards the position.
I will keep you informed as soon as I have more information.
Please be advised that we are encountering technical problems with ship’s email viking.Bridge@hvessel.com which is
temporarily not receiving messages, please contact the ship with the followings: viking.captain@hvessel.com,
SAR@sosmediterranee.org (SAR Coordinator), logbook@sosmediterranee.org
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
best regards

10:52 A small wooden boat is found adrift, with no engine and no one on board

11:15 The Ocean Viking informs the Libyan JRCC of its new course

Moonbird informs Ocean Viking that after performing search patterns with negative result, is leaving the area

Ocean Viking receives an email from Alarm Phone with an updated distress position

Ocean Viking changes Course towards the new given position

12:16 The Ocean Viking informs again the Libyan JRCC of its new course

13:29 The Ocean Viking informs again the Libyan JRCC of its new course

13:32 First visual contact with a potential boat in distress

14:02 The OV tries to call a fishing vessel in the vicinity on VHF channel 16 to assess the situation but receives no answer

14:03 The OV tries to call a fishing vessel in the vicinity in Arabic on VHF channel 16 to assess the situation but receives no answer

14:11 Visual contact with EU patrol aircraft flying over the boat in distress

14:34 The Ocean Viking informs the Libyan JRCC that it is deploying two RHIBs to assess the situation on the distress scene

Ocean Viking sends email to LYJRCC, copying Italian MRCC and Maltese MRCC, informing about a distress case requiring immediate assistance.

14:35 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

14:36 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

14:37 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

Ocean Viking reports that a rubber boat in distress has been spotted and RHIBs are launched to provide assistance as necessary

2 RHIBs approach the rubber boat to provide assistance with rescuers and medical team onboard.
All team ready on deck to take in charge the survivors.
Mass floating devices ready on deck in case of emergency.

14:54 Ocean Viking RHIBs start the lifejackets distribution

14:55 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

14:57 Ocean Viking calls LYJRCC by SAT phone but receives no response

Ocean Viking at position 33°19.4’N 011°51.37’E

Latitude: 33.31777778
Longitude: 11.86027778

Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC informing that SAR operation is completed and requests a place of safety to disembark all 50 survivors who are currently on-board.

September 9, 2019

Ocean Viking receives an email from Airborne Operations (SeaWatch).
They report that patrol aircraft Moonbird spotted a boat in distress with about 20 persons on board. The email is addressed to ITMRCC and JRCC Libya. Ocean Viking is in copy, quoted as the “closest rescue asset”.
Ocean Viking changes Course towards the given distress position.

Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC, MTRCC and EUNAVFOR MED, to report about the situation and informing that Ocean Viking has changed her Course towards the given distress position.

Ocean Viking requests LYJRCC to send all ship alert message for this case.

Ocean Viking contacts LYJRCC on 3 different SAT phone numbers. No response from the first 2, the last one answers but no English speaker is available

Ocean Viking in position 33°50.7’N 012°55-3’E receives a VHF call from SV Josefa in position 33°52,2’N 12°48,3’E close to an unseaworthy rubber boat with approximately 30 persons on board.
This rubber boat is assumed to be the Target previously spotted by Moonbird patrol aircraft.

SV Josefa requests Ocean Viking intervention to rescue the rubber boat due to their limited capacity to guarantee safety of survivors on board.

Ocean Viking arrives on scene and overhears a VHF call from Libyan Coast Guard vessel to SV Josefa where SV Josefa states that they have rescued all the people from the rubber boat.

Ocean Viking is on standby ready to render assistance in case of need.

SV Josefa asks for medical assistance to Ocean Viking via VHF.

Ocean Viking alerts the medical team and prepares food supplies.

SAR Team prepares for launching 2 RHIBs

Ocean Viking RHIBs approach SV Josefa with a medical team for immediate medical support and supplies.

survivors are on the open deck of SV Josefa, exposed to the elements. As weather conditions are rapidly deteriorating, the situation on the 14mt Sailing Vessel Josefa becomes one of emergency.

The captain of SV Josefa requests the transfer of all survivors to Ocean Viking

Ocean Viking is positioned to provide SV Josefa with Shelter from wind and waves.

22:47 Ocean Viking sends email to LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC and MTRCC, to report that the transfer of 34 survivors from SV Josefa has started due to the situation of emergency.

Ocean Viking RHIBs complete the transfer of the 34 survivors from SV Josefa in position 33°54.3’N 012°47.2’E (63 NM from the Libyan coast) to MV Ocean Viking.
1 pregnant woman and 1 year old child are among them.

Latitude: 33.90083333
Longitude: 12.78388889

September 10, 2019

00:05 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC to report the completion of the transfer of 34 survivors from SV Josefa

13:18 Ocean Viking sends an email to LYJRCC copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC to request a Place of Safety

16:14 Ocean Viking receives an email from LYJRCC designating Zawiyah (Libya) as Place of Safety.

Ocean Viking informs LYJRCC by email, with ITMRCC, MTJRCC in copy, that she cannot proceed to disembarkation in Zawiyah (Libya) due to the fact that Libyan ports do not conform to the definition of place of safety.

“Dear Sir,
We acknowledge receipt of your request to proceed to Libya – Zawiyah to disembark the 84 survivors on board MV Ocean Viking.
As you know, 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 define in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the International Maritime Organization 2004 Rescue Guidelines)

It is within this framework that 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/5b8d02314.html

I understand that among the survivors on board there are people, including women, children, unaccompanied minors and pregnant women, who say that if returned to Libya, they would be in danger of being subjected to severe abuses.

In light of this clear guidance and international law Provisions, we are not in a position to head towards a Libyan port, which cannot be considered as a place of safety for rescued people.

I respectfully request that as the JRCC coordinating, that you please provide with the indication of a Place of Safety, which fulfils all requirements under all applicable international laws, where the survivors can be safely and promptly disembarked.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
“

MV Ocean Viking

September 11, 2019

Ocean Viking requests Medical evacuation for a pregnant woman and his husband to ITMRCC and MTJRCC

Ocean Viking is in position 34°17.04’N 013°20.8’E and starts to Heading North at 10Kts

15:15 Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC and MTJRCC copying LYJRCC to request a Place of Safety

Ocean Viking calls by SAT phone ITMRCC asking a feedback about Medical evacuation request

ITMTCC answer to refer to MTJRCC as Ocean Viking
is within Maltese SRR

Ocean Viking calls by SAT phone MTJRCC asking a feedback about Medical evacuation request

MTJRCC is organizing the evacuation by SAR helicopter

A nine-month pregnant woman and her husband are evacuated to Malta via SAR helicopter

Position: 34°55.4’N 013°24.5’E

Latitude: 34.91777778
Longitude: 13.40138889

September 12, 2019

Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC and MTJRCC copying LYJRCC to request a place of safety for the 82 survivors on board.

Ocean Viking is on standby at position at 35°27.0’N 013°25.3’E

12:47 Ocean Viking receives an email from MTJRCC with refusal to grant a Place of Safety

Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC who has informed the competent National Authority about the request of place of safety

Ocean
Viking is still on standby waiting for guidance

September 14, 2019

07:30 Ocean Viking receives a SAT phone call from ITMRCC informing to proceed towards Lampedusa as Place of Safety

21:32 Ocean Viking drops anchor in front of Lampedusa in position 35°29.2N 012°35.4E

22:40 Starts the transfer of the 82 survivors from the Ocean Viking to Italian Coast Guard vessel and Italian GDF vessel

Latitude: 35.48388889
Longitude: 12.58444444

September 15, 2019

Italian Coast Guard completed a 9-hours Port State Control inspection on board the Ocean Viking.

The latest Ocean Viking Periodic Inspection of a PSC under Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been carried out on July 18th, 2019 in Szczecin (Poland)

September 16, 2019

08:21 Ocean Viking receives port clearance