Ocean Viking leaves the port of Marseille

Ocean Viking arrives in Barcelona for refueling.

Ocean Viking leaves the port of Barcelona after bunkering operation and is heading to the Central Mediterranean Sea

Easy 2 and Easy 3 are launched for practice rescue training

Ocean Viking in position 37°16.4’N 011°19.8’E alters course to SSE heading towards the Libyan Search and Rescue Region

• Wind: NW 9 knots  
• Swell: 0.5-1 meters
• Sea State: 3  

Easy 1 and Easy 2 are launched for practice rescue training

”MV Ocean Viking declares readiness for SAR operations in the Central Mediterranean Sea, South of Lampedusa and Malta, outside of Libyan Territorial Waters.”

Ocean Viking receives an email from the Alarm Phone, informing both ITMRCC and the LYJRCC about a distress case.

Ocean Viking is in copy, quoted by Alarm Phone as vessel in the vicinity

Both RCC have no additional information about the case

At 23:35+0200 M/V Ocean Viking at position 33°56.5N 013°32.1E changed course towards the target, at about 60NM away.

COG 238, Speed 12Kts ETA 05:00 UTC+2

MV Ocean Viking

Ocean Viking reaches last known distress position.

No target is found.

Ocean Viking starts Expanding square search pattern from position 33°22 N 012°25E

“Dear Sirs,
Please be informed that at 05:27 UTC+2 Ocean Viking arrived in position 33°22’ N 012°25’ E.
No target has been spotted.
We started the Expanding Square search pattern.
I will keep you informed as soon as I have more information.
Please be advised that we are encountering technical problems with ship’s email viking.bridge@hvessel.com which is
temporarily not receiving messages, please contact the ship with the followings: viking.captain@hvessel.com,
sar@sosmediterranee.org (SAR Coordinator), logbook@sosmediterranee.org
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Best regards”

Ocean Viking calls EU patrol aircraft on VHF for a situation update.

Aircraft reports no target has been spotted.

Dear Sirs,
We are informing you that at 07:01 UTC+2 we received an update via email from Alarm Phone stating:

“Hello,
we were just in contact with the boat,
updated GPS position is from 8:35 CET N 33.25 E 12.25
All best wishes,
Ina Fisher“

We are currently proceeding towards the position.
I will keep you informed as soon as I have more information.
Please be advised that we are encountering technical problems with ship’s email viking.bridge@hvessel.com which is
temporarily not receiving messages, please contact the ship with the followings: viking.captain@hvessel.com,
sar@sosmediterranee.org (SAR Coordinator), logbook@sosmediterranee.org
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
best regards

Moonbird informs Ocean Viking that after performing  search patterns with negative result, is leaving the area

Ocean Viking changes course towards the new given position

Ocean Viking sends email to LYJRCC, copying Italian MRCC and Maltese MRCC, informing about a distress case requiring immediate assistance.

Ocean Viking reports that a rubber boat in distress has been spotted and RHIBs are launched to provide assistance as necessary

Ocean Viking at position 33°19.4’N 011°51.37’E

Ocean Viking sends an email to the LYJRCC, copying ITMRCC and MTJRCC informing that SAR operation is completed and requests a Place of Safety to disembark all 50 survivors who are currently on-board.

Ocean Viking contacts LYJRCC on 3 different SAT phone numbers. No response from the first 2, the last one answers but no English speaker is available

SV Josefa asks for medical assistance to Ocean Viking via VHF.

Ocean Viking alerts the medical team and prepares food supplies.

SAR Team prepares for launching 2 RHIBs

Ocean Viking RHIBs approach SV Josefa with a medical team for immediate medical support and supplies.

Survivors are on the open deck of SV Josefa, exposed to the elements. As weather conditions are rapidly deteriorating, the situation on the 14mt Sailing Vessel Josefa becomes one of emergency.

The captain of SV Josefa requests the transfer of all survivors to Ocean Viking

Ocean Viking is positioned to provide SV Josefa with shelter from wind and waves.

“Dear Sir,
We acknowledge receipt of your request to proceed to Libya – Zawiyah to disembark the 84 survivors on board MV Ocean Viking.
As you know, under the International Convention on maritime search and rescue to which Libya is a state party, a rescue is only considered as completed once rescued people have been disembarked in a place of safety (As define in the Annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, paragraph 1.3.2 and in the International Maritime Organization 2004 Rescue Guidelines)
 
It is within this framework that the European Commission and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued clear positions stating that currently Libya does not meet the criteria for being designated as a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea (https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b8d02314.html
 
I understand that among the survivors on board there are people, including women, children,  unaccompanied minors and pregnant women, who say that if returned to Libya, they would be in danger of being subjected to severe abuses.
 
In light of this clear guidance and international law provisions, we are not in a position to head towards a Libyan port, which cannot be considered as a place of safety for rescued people.
 
I respectfully request that as the JRCC coordinating, that you please  provide with the indication of a Place of Safety, which fulfils all requirements under all applicable international laws, where the survivors can be safely and promptly disembarked.
 
 
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
“

MV Ocean Viking

ITMTCC answer to refer to MTJRCC as Ocean Viking is  within Maltese SRR

MTJRCC is organizing the evacuation by SAR helicopter

A nine-month pregnant woman and her husband are evacuated to Malta via SAR helicopter

Position: 34°55.4’N 013°24.5’E

Ocean Viking is on standby at position at  35°27.0’N  013°25.3’E

Ocean Viking is still on standby waiting for guidance

Italian Coast Guard completed a 9-hours Port State Control inspection on board the Ocean Viking.

The latest Ocean Viking Periodic Inspection of a PSC under Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been carried out on July 18th, 2019 in Szczecin (Poland)