OPERATION - 21 - 29 - May - 2025

At 08:06 Ocean Viking receives the following alert of a distress case, reported to Libyan, Maltese and Italian authorities via email by Alarm Phone:
Subject: Re: AP555-2025 - SOS from Central Med +UPDATE+
Dear officer on duty,
we were able to establish contact with the boat.
They have neither water nor food and no fuel left. The boat is adrift.
We urge you to take the necessary steps for rescue. The people on the boat are urgently asking for help.

Ocean Viking expresses concerns about the SAR case AP0555 and suggesting to send any of the nearby supply vessels from the closest platform, the
duty officer answers that "they know what they do". Ocean Viking can not get any more precise info than that.

Alarm Phone relays to Ocean Viking a conversation with the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) of the Bobic shipping company. According to the DPA, Bobic has a visual on the distress case and is still seeking formal instructions from ITMRCC or Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Center, to no avail. The DPA reports that the Captain is fearful of the danger of a rescue operation, citing the shipwreck off Pylos.

Subject: BOBIC · S.A.R operation 24 May 2025
Dear All
We need support on what to do please. Read Below.
Master is standing alone with 35 people rescued and no-one is providing any guidance on next step to be taken for those people.
Your attention and engagement is expected as a priority.
Appreciate.
• Best Regards

Subject: RE: Search and Rescue of SAR case - APSSS
All.
We have on board already 35 people.
We need to focus on a safe place for their disembarkation.
Another vessel is already engaged as responded to our Captain's MAYDAY Broadcast. The MRCCs have not proceeded in any further arrangements
and we have not any further advise.
What we need to focus on:
1. Guide us or advise in which place we disembark these people for further treatment (if needed) and monitoring,
2. Coordinate and push from your end as well with JRCC Libya, MRCC Rome, RCC Malta or else to assist us,
3. JRCC Libya have released our vessel but we do not know where to sail in order to disembark those people for further treatment.
Be guided that everyone is asking something from the vessel, Captain and Crew have done anything could be done but no one assisting.
We need to support those people already on board.
Contact Rescue Coordination Centers from your end as well.
You have the expertise and the experience to support and succeed on this
Appreciate.
Best Regards

Ocean Viking expresses willingness to support but emphasizes the distance of the vessel to the distress case and asks the Duty Officer to coordinate assets in the vicinity of the distress location to perform a SAR operation. The Duty Officer instructs the Ocean Viking to communicate with the competent authority.

The Duty Officer instructs the Ocean Viking to proceed towards
the distress case, perform the rescue of the people adrift on the missing distress case, and to
transship the 35 people rescued by MV Bobic.

Ocean Viking explains that the distance to the distress case is 24 hours. Ocean Viking asks ITMRCC to coordinate with LYJRCC to define the best SAR plan, as other assets closer to the case are present in the area.

Ocean Viking relays the instruction from LYJRCC to proceed to the distress location and transship the survivors from MV Bobic. Ocean Viking informs all recipients of the intention to proceed to the last known position of the distress case and assisting MV Bobic by sharing knowledge and expertise,

Ocean Viking is offering support in conducting a search pattern and reiterating the maritime law principles prohibiting a return of the rescued individuals to Libya.

The Duty Officer confirms that MV Bobic is proceeding to Al Zawiyah. Asked about the fate of the missing distress case, the Duty Officer first states not having any information about the case, and then says that as an NGO, we cannot address LYJRCC.

Ocean Viking underlines that a LYJRCC Duty Officer informed the Ocean Viking that Bobic was instructed to proceed to Al Zawiyah while the instruction from the same RCC, given at 01:21 the same day, was for the Ocean Viking to transship survivors from Bobic. Ocean Viking highlights
the UNCLOS, SAR Convention and SOLAS clauses on the duty to disembark survivors in a place of safety and asks for clarification on the unlawful assignment of Al Zawiyah. Ocean Viking also requests official information about the search for the 75 missing persons onboard distress case AP0555 and confirmation on whether or not the vessel’s assistance is required.

The duty officer informs that the assistance of the Ocean Viking is not required anymore. This Vessel asks for information about the 75 survivors remaining in the distress case AP0555, the duty officer does not give any additional information.

Duty Officer states that the competent authority is LYJRCC but confirms that the location is recent and inquiries about the Ocean Viking’s estimated time to the distress case.

The Captain of Eco One confirms being on scene of the distress case. MV Eco One reports having recovered 26 people, but having to abort the rescue operation due to bad weather conditions.2 MV Eco One intends to remain on scene to shelter the distress case and reports that ITMRCC instructed either MV Eco One or Ocean Viking to proceed to the evacuation of the remaining shipwrecked persons once weather conditions allow. ETA of Ocean Viking is 00.01.

The Duty Officer acknowledges the intention of Ocean Viking and greenlights to proceed to the assessment of the distress case.

Ocean Viking is relaying the information provided by Eco One and the confirmation by the assessment of Eco One that the boat matching AP case 0555 is in distress.

The assessment is as follows: the boat in unseaworthy, inapt for navigation in high seas, lacking fuel, food or water, competent crew and command, children and women are present onboard, all exposed to the elements without lifesaving appliances. The Ocean Viking receives no reply from any maritime authority during the rescue operation. Almost all survivors, approximately 50 people, are found on the lower deck of the wooden boat.

Ocean Viking is informing the duty officer that Ocean Viking is on scene of a confirmed distress case and proceeds with the rescue initiated by Eco One, to recover the
remaining people from the distress case. Moreover Ocean Viking asks for a disembarkation in Lampedusa, referring to the fact that the people on board of Eco One, are rescued from the same distress case and as assigned the port of Lampedusa as a Place of Safety. In order to not separate people any further, Ocean Viking requests the same POS.

The order states: "[...], it is requested that all the non-EU minors aboard the M/V OCEAN VIKING, be allowed to disembark in the port of Agrigento or however closer, [...]”. Ocean Viking emphasizes that the court order has already been disregarded by refusing a disembarkation in the port of Lampedusa even though the vessel was close for the medical evacuation, and stresses: "Please consider that this disembarkation involves children less than 5 years old, and minors, who are vulnerable and already underwent many hardships during the last days and prior. They are already weakened by the 5 days journey and a transhipment, in any weather condition, implements another avoidable risk, jeopardising their safety." Ocean Viking therefore requests a disembarkation alongside in the port of Porto Empedocle and, to avoid a fifth separation of survivors from the same boat, requests a full disembarkation.