Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Bos-Hestia

On October 23, 2023, Italian authorities took a significant step by boarding the Vos Hestia, a vessel engaged in migrant search and rescue operations, while it was docked in Catania, Sicily. The police were reportedly on a mission to gather evidence connected to alleged illicit activities involving third parties. In a recent statement, the chartering organization, Save the Children, clarified that the investigation is focused exclusively on gathering evidence related to crimes unrelated to their organization's humanitarian efforts.

On November 24, 2016, the Vos Hestia docked at Trapani after an extensive rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea, managing to save over 400 individuals, including approximately 100 children and several pregnant women. Notably, many of the young children were traveling alone. The critical operation commenced at dawn on November 22, initiated by the Italian Coast Guard, which identified a distressed wooden vessel off the North African coast. The Vos Hestia collaborated with two other rescue ships to execute this mission. The NGO 'Save the Children' reported that its team successfully moved all rescued individuals aboard the ship within a three-hour timeframe. Medical staff on board addressed the urgent health needs of several migrants, while child protection experts offered essential psychosocial support to the children affected by the harrowing ordeal.