Merchant Vessel Involvement in Sea Rescue Operations Overview of relevant cases spotted by Airborne Operations in 2020 Due to the seizure of NGO vessels and the lack of a state-led European Search-and-Rescue (SAR) programme, operations which retrieve people from distress at sea currently rely primarily on the shipping industry. Captains and crews of merchant vessels…
DetailsThis factsheet outlines a summary of the distress cases witnessed in October 2020 by Sea-Watch’s Airborne crew from the aircraft Moonbird and Seabird.* In October 2020, due to criminalization measures against Moonbird, we were only able to fly 7 missions, with a total flight time of 61 hours and 05 minutes. We spotted around 217…
Details#CrimesOfMalta: The longest stand-off in the history of the Maltese rescue zone: European authorities deny a port of safety for more than five weeks to a merchant vessel that complied with its duty to rescue. 04.08.2020 – 12.09.2020: Watch The Med – Alarmphone was called by 27 people on board a boat in distress and…
DetailsOn 6 November, 2017, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard caused the death of at least 20 people through the violent intervention against a boat in distress. The Sea-Watch 3 is witnessing the incident live at that time and tries to calm down the chaotic situation while dozens of people are already in the water. Our…
Details#CrimesOfMalta: Two boats are simultaneously in severe distress in the Maltese rescue zone. While 108 people on one boat are being rescued by a civilian oil tanker, 72 people on the other boat are being pushed back to Libya by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. 24.07.2020: An inflatable boat with 108 persons as well as…
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