Mediterranean, the Emergency ship saved 47 people: they were crammed into a 6-meter dinghy

ROME – This afternoon, at around 3.30pm, the Life support Of EMERGENCY successfully concluded a rescue operation for a vessel in difficulty in the international waters of the Libyan SAR zone, bringing 47 people to safety. The case was reported to the EMERGENCY ship shortly before 1pm via a May 1st relay on channel 16 by Sparrow 4, a Frontex aircraft. «As soon as we received the report of the case of a vessel in danger we went to the indicated coordinates, there we found an overcrowded dinghy with people without life jackets – said the head of the mission of the Life supportCarlo Maisano – our staff immediately began rescue operations, evacuated the people from the boat in difficulty and brought them to safety on board the Life support.

The visits began immediately. The medical staff then began to visit cases that needed attention, particularly cases of burns due to the mixture of sea water and fuel. “The authorities – Maisano said – assigned us Livorno with Place of safety (Pos) for disembarkation, where we will arrive on Sunday morning after three and a half days of navigation. All castaways are vulnerable: they have a long journey behind them and have the right to arrive in a safe port as soon as possible. There is no reason for them to remain at sea for any more days after everything they have experienced.”

There were 47 people on a 6 meter dinghy. The dinghy in difficulty, about 6 meters long, was overcrowded and had left from the Libyan city of Zwara. Among the shipwrecked people, 47 people, there are 39 men, 3 women and 5 unaccompanied minors. The people rescued come from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Eritrea, Bangladesh, South Sudan and Sudan, countries afflicted by conflict, violence, political instability, climate crisis and poverty.

The burnt castaways. “Among the castaways – explains Crescenzo Caiazza, nurse on board the Life Support – we have three women and two men with burns, then there are some cases of joint pain due to having been still and contracted in the same position for a long time, but not we have other medical cases to report – Fortunately there were no critical conditions during the rescue, the boys had not been at sea for many hours and their boat held up despite the bad weather conditions. In the next few days of navigation, however, the medical staff will continue to monitor the health conditions of all the castaways and treat cases of burns and joint pain»

It is the twentieth mission: a total of 1,678 people saved. THE Life support Of EMERGENCY, It has a crew of 28 made up of sailors, doctors, cultural mediators and rescuers, and is on its twentieth mission in the Central Mediterranean. So far it has saved 1,678 people and will continue its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance and save lives along one of the deadliest routes in the world.