Dear supporters, the first deployment crew has now arrived back in our home port on Licata. Behind the six activists lie two stirring experiences that underline the fact that we are needed in the Mediterranean. On March 12, we received our first distress call and immediately set out to search for the ship in distress. The following day, the crew of the TROTAMAR III were able to stabilize around 100 people on an unseaworthy, completely overloaded boat by handing out life jackets. After a few hours, the civilian rescue ship OCEAN VIKING from the NGO SOS Méditerranée reached the scene and took the people on board.
Just one day later, the crew of the TROTAMAR III found another boat in distress, drifting in the Mediterranean with many people on board and unable to maneuver. Life jackets were immediately issued to stabilize the situation. It was a rubber dinghy with more than 50 people, including 4 small children, on board. For hours, we made emergency calls to the relevant authorities and demanded their rescue – without any helpful response. It got dark and the situation remained unclear. Late in the evening, an Italian coastguard vessel suddenly appeared and took the people on board.
This first mission of a total of nine planned this year is now coming to an end. The crew was able to help numerous refugees on two boats in distress despite our limited resources. We are very grateful for all the support we have received over the last few weeks.
In just under two weeks, the TROTAMAR III will set sail again to support civilian sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean. We are sailing for freedom of movement for all, against Fortress Europe. Our missions are financed by donations. Each mission costs us around 12,000 euros.
Can you help make the next mission possible?