What Crew Members Say About Bos-Triton

In a heartbreaking incident on the night of December 13, 2023, over 60 migrants are presumed dead following the sinking of an overcrowded rubber boat off the northern coast of Libya. The vessel departed from the coastal town of Zuwara and encountered perilous seas, leading to its tragic fate. Survivors have indicated that approximately 86 individuals, including women and children primarily hailing from Sub-Saharan Africa, were aboard the ill-fated boat. Of those, 25 migrants were rescued and returned to the Tariq al Sekka detention center in Libya. The humanitarian organization Alarm Phone was in communication with the vessel throughout the ordeal, having received the first distress signal at 5 p.m. Alarm Phone promptly alerted Italian, Maltese, and Libyan authorities, and also contacted the 'Sea-Eye 4', which was approximately 12 hours away from the scene. Despite managing to reach a Libyan officer who promised to deploy a patrol boat, bad weather prevented any rescue operations from being initiated, even as at least two Libyan rescue boats were active in the area, intercepting other migrant vessels. Alarm Phone received a haunting final message from the distressed boat at 6 p.m., stating, 'We are losing our lives here!' At 9:40 p.m., the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rome instructed the supply vessel 'Vos Triton' to assist, but it was inadequately equipped for a rescue and ultimately lost contact with the migrants. On December 14, it was confirmed that 61 individuals were missing, heightening concerns over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean region. Just days prior, the 'Geo Barents', a vessel chartered by Medecins Sans Frontieres, had been patrolling the very area of the tragedy, but it was en route to Genoa to disembark previously rescued migrants when Alarm Phone issued its urgent alerts.

Humanitarian organizations have leveled serious accusations against the supply vessel 'Vos Triton', claiming it was involved in an unlawful pushback operation to Libya. The incident occurred on June 14, when the Seabird aircraft, operated by Sea-Watch, was surveilling a distressed wooden boat carrying over 180 migrants. As the ship began to break down, several individuals jumped overboard in desperation, trying to swim towards the 'Vos Triton'. Initially, the crew of 'Vos Triton' hesitated to assist the stranded migrants, who had been adrift for a significant period. However, after some of the individuals successfully reached the vessel, the crew was compelled to comply with international maritime rescue protocols and eventually brought all of the stranded migrants on board. Not long after the rescue, a Libyan Coast Guard vessel approached 'Vos Triton' to facilitate the handover of these migrants, which has sparked outrage as this transfer took place in international waters—thereby constituting an illegal pushback to Tripoli. For more details, you can view the report along with a photo here: https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/32983/accusations-of-illegal-pushbacks-leveled-at-supply-ship-vos-triton-in-mediterranean.

On June 14, 2021, the vessel 'Vos Triton' undertook a remarkable rescue operation, saving 200 migrants stranded at sea who now find themselves at risk of being forcibly returned to Libya. This dramatic rescue unfolded 11 hours after authorities were alerted to a distressed boat in the Mediterranean Sea, which had suffered a critical engine failure while navigating through international waters. The 'Vos Triton' was headed south, anticipating delivering these vulnerable individuals to the controversial Libyan Coast Guard, a move fraught with peril for those aboard.