Sea-Watch 5 rescued 150 people

On May 8, we rescued 190 people from two overcrowded boats in distress at sea. Initially, the Italian authorities assigned us the port of Civitavecchia — four times farther away than the nearest port, Lampedusa. This was an unnecessarily long and burdensome route that we did not want to impose on our 190 guests. However, our request for a closer port was not only denied — it was met with further political obstruction: instead of Civitavecchia, we were instructed to go even 240 kilometers more to Marina di Carrara.

The time we spent together on board allowed us to prepare the people as best we could for their journey ahead. We provided our 190 guests with food, informed them about their rights, and did our utmost to create a place of calm and safety for them.

The people on board even found time for self-care — something that usually has no place during a struggle for freedom. Some of them set up a makeshift hair salon at the rear of the Sea-Watch 5, in the area known as the ‘Blue Lagoon’, and took care of one another.

After more than three days together on the Sea-Watch 5, our guests were finally able to disembark in Marina di Carrara on the evening of May 11. They could breathe, rest, and gather new strength for their continued struggle for freedom. The relief of being able to set foot on land was immense, and we wish all 190 survivors strength and good fortune for the road ahead.

Delaying action makes one responsible for deaths

While we were sent hundreds of kilometers across the Mediterranean, on Saturday, May 10, two children and another person lost their lives on a boat in distress. Our friends at RESQSHIP were only able to recover the two toddlers deceased. Despite resuscitation efforts, another person died on board the rescue ship Nadir.

“The boat had left Zawiyah (Libya) three days earlier. On the second day, the engine failed. For more than 24 hours, the people on board were exposed to the sun, wind, and waves, sitting in a corrosive mixture of seawater and fuel, without sufficient drinking water. Among them were two infants and four children.”

With our new aircraft, the Seabird 3, we documented the situation from the air and provided support as best we could.

One thing we know: this tragedy was preventable. But instead of investing in rescue, the EU invests in surveillance and deterrence, shirks responsibility, and systematically delays aid. Rather than deploying our rescue ships effectively, authorities deliberately obstruct our work.

We need safe passage—immediately!