Aquarius sends email to Libyan JRCC, ITMRCC, Maltese RCC and MRCC Tunisia informing about rescue operation

“While patrolling M/V Aquarius2 investigated a boat in position 33-28.6N 011-58.1Eat  0600Z. I am reporting to you that the situation is assessed as highly dangerous for the people on board.

  • It is a small white boat fiber glass boat with approximately 10 people on board.

I have every reason to believe that the Distress phase exists, because the target is an unseaworthy boat, without any life-saving appliance such as lifejacket or liferaft. According to the sailing conditions and the weather conditions, I have every reason to believe that the people in distress are already weak, sick and potentially injured.

I am currently deploying the fast rescue crafts.

As per the UNCLOS, SOLAS and SAR Conventions, I therefore inform you that M/V Aquarius 2 will provide immediate assistance to these people in distress and rescue them without delay. My ship has the capacity to recover all of the people, to provide medical care and to transfer them to a place of safety in a reasonable period of time.

I will keep you informed as soon as I have more information.”

According to the SAR Convention (1979), all information concerning a vessel in distress will be forwarded to the rescue co-ordination center concerned.

Chapter 4: Operating procedures

4.2.3 Any authority or element of the search and rescue service having reason to believe that a person, a vessel or other craft is in a state of emergency shall forward as soon as possible all available information to the rescue co-ordination centre or rescue sub-centre concerned.

According to the SOLAS Convention search and rescue units should proceed immediately to the distress event and inform the relevant rescue co-ordination centre.

Chapter V

Regulation 33: “Any search and rescue unit receiving information of a distress incident shall initially take immediate
action if in the position to assist and shall, in any case without delay, notify the rescue co-ordination centre or rescue
subcentre in whose area the incident has occurred”.