In position 33 53N 014 51E
21:00
On June 30, Ocean Viking departs from the port of Bari, Italy.
On July 7, Ocean Viking evacuated 46 shipwrecked people from a fiberglass boat in distress in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. Shortly after, the Ocean Viking evacuated 11 shipwrecked people from a second fiberglass boat in distress in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region. ITMRCC designated Civitavecchia, Italy, as a Place of Safety for the 57 survivors onboard Ocean Viking.
On the same day, July 7, during the second rescue, while evacuating shipwrecked people to the Ocean Viking, an unidentified Libyan coastguard patrol vessel dangerously approached the Rhibs and started firing gunshots in the air.
On July 11, Ocean Viking completes the disembarkation of the survivors in the port of Civitavecchia, Italy.
June 30, 2023
July 5, 2023
July 7, 2023
09:50
Ocean Viking is in copy of an email sent to relevant authorities by Alarm Phone, alerting to a boat with approx. 250 persons on board in distress, adrift in Maltese SRR.
11:05
Ocean Viking informs JRCC Tripoli, with ITMRCC, MTRCC in copy, of the second distress alert received and that she is proceeding towards the first distress case (DC1084), about 13 NM away.
12:48
The RHIBs start the evacuation of survivors to the Ocean Viking.
12:52
Evacuation of 46 survivors onto the Ocean Viking is completed.
Latitude: 33.51666
Longitude: 013.81666
13:00
Ocean Viking emails JRCC Tripoli, with ITMRCC, and MTRCC in copy, informing that Ocean Viking completed the recovery operation of the persons in distress and requests the assignment of a Place of Safety to promptly disembark all 42 survivors.
13:07
Ocean Viking informs via email JCC Tripoli, with ITMRCC, and MTRCC in copy, about the mayday relay and that Ocean Viking is proceeding towards the mayday relay position, 20 NM away.
13:36
Aircraft TD 95 contacts Ocean Viking via VHF to ask confirmation of the intention to render assistance to the mayday relay call. Ocean Viking repeats the message and confirms.
14:00
Ocean Viking informs JRCC Tripoli, with ITMRCC, MTRCC in copy, that the aircraft (TD 95) called MV Ocean Viking on VHF CH16 to ask for confirmation of Ocean Viking to render assistance to the distress case, Ocean Viking replied with an affirmative ETA at 1500.
14:05
Ocean Viking receives a SAT phone call from ITMRCC with the instruction to proceed to Civitavecchia as port of disembarkation. Ocean Viking acknowledges the assignment of Civitavecchia and informs that it is replying to a distress call. ITMRCC instructs Ocean Viking to proceed towards the position reported and assess the situation.
14:23
Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC to recap the previous phone call.
14:30
Libyan Coast Guard (LYCG) Patrol vessel approaches and starts to follow Ocean Viking at a distance of 4NM.
15:25
Ocean Viking emails JRCC Tripoli, ITMRCC and concerned maritime authorities, that the boat has been located and reports the assessment, confirming the distress situation. Ocean Viking also informs that, as confirmed with LYCG patrol vessel in the vicinity, rescue operation is going to be launched.
15:26
Ocean Viking RHIBs are launched.
15:34
Small Libyan Coastal Security Vessel Number 51 arrives at high speed on scene, close to the LYCG vessel
15:35
All occupants are evacuated from the boat in distress to Ocean Viking RHIBs.
15:37
LYCG patrol vessel approaches RHIBs on their way back to the Ocean Viking and fires gunshots in the air, crossing the RHIBs bow at close range at sustainable speed.
15:47
Evacuation of survivors from RHIBs onto the Ocean Viking is completed.
Latitude: 33.91666
Longitude: 014.08333
15:52
ITMRCC calls Ocean Viking via Sat Phone for SITREP. Ocean Viking reports the situation and the retrieval of 11 persons.
16:00
Ocean Viking emails JRCC Tripoli and ITMRCC, with MTRCC in copy, to inform that Ocean Viking completed the recovery operation of the 11 persons in distress. Ocean Viking requests a Place of Safety to promptly disembark all 57 survivors who are currently on board.
16:39
Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC, requesting reconstruction of the events of the second rescue operation conducted.
17:39
Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC with instruction to proceed towards the reported distress in order to provide to this MRCC the necessary assessment (type of boat, number of people, buoyancy, ecc.) and inform this MRCC if there are other assets in the area.
17:54
Ocean Viking replies to ITMRCC email to acknowledge the instruction and provides her ETA.
21:30
Ocean Viking receives an email from ITMRCC informing that the SAR case (boat adrift in Maltese SRR with approx. 250 persons on board) is being handled by the competent authority MTRCC and that Ocean Viking support is no longer needed. ITMRCC instructs Ocean Viking to resume her sea passage towards Civitavecchia.
21:53
Ocean Viking replies to ITMRCC email to acknowledge the instruction and provides updated ETA to Civitavecchia.
22:40
Ocean Viking sends to ITMRCC an email with the reports and information available at that moment on the rescue operations conducted that day.
July 8, 2023
21:48
Ocean Viking sends to ITMRCC an email with the remaining reports and information on the rescue operations conducted the day before.
July 11, 2023
06:00
Ocean Viking arrives in the port of Civitavecchia, Italy
06:34
Ocean Viking starts disembarkation of survivors.
08:10
