The crew of the Trotamar III rescued 65 people in distress at sea.

From the early hours of the morning on June 21st 2024, the crew assisted a rubber boat in distress and provided the people with life jackets. However, the responsible coordination centers for sea rescue did not respond to the distress call that the crew had made after sighting the boat.
When the so-called Libyan Coast Guard arrived on the scene at around 11 a.m., some people jumped into the water out of panic. Fortunately, these people could be rescued on the Trotamar III. Faced with the threat of an illegal pullback by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, the crew had no choice but to bring also the other people from the rubber boat onto the Trotamar III.
The people on board are now being provided with water, tea, hot food and rescue blankets. One person is being treated with a fuel burn caused by a mixture of fuel and salt water. The refugees had set off from Zuwara in Libya in a rubber boat. Among them were 5 babies and small children.
The crew of the Trotamar III is now heading for Lampedusa and is still waiting for a response from the authorities and the necessary assignment of a Port of Safety. In view of the cramped conditions on the 13-metre-long sailing boat, only Lampedusa is an option, which the Trotamar III is expected to reach tomorrow in the course of the day.

UPDATE 21.06.2024 – 22:00 CET

Yesterday evening at around 10 p.m., the crew of the Trotamar III handed over all the rescued people to the Italian coastguard on the open sea. The 65 people, including 11 women and 4 minors, have now been taken to Italy. Previously, the crew had handed over 6 people to Nadir of @resqship by order of the authorities. Two of the people are in a poor state of health.
The Trotamar III and the Nadir are now sailing together to Lampedusa. Slowed by increasing wind and waves, they will probably arrive there in the course of the day. Then the last of the rescued people will also be able to set foot on European soil.

Update: 24.06.2024 – Back to home port

The Trotamar III has just returned to her home port of Licata on the south coast of Sicily and has thus completed its fourth deployment in
2024. In the eventful last few days, the crew was able to rescue 65 people
from an overcrowded rubber boat, saving them from a pullback to Libya.
The crew then handed the people over to the Italian
Coast Guard and to the Nadir of @resqsihp. We sincerely hope that all those rescued will recover from this traumatic incident on safe ground in Italy.
During the rescue the guard rail was damaged when many people climbed up onto the Trotamar III at the same time. In order to take the next crew safely on the next deployment, please donate for the repair and optimization of the guard rail!
Donate here: https://compass-collective.org/#spenden