Dear friends of Sea-Eye,
After 20 days of detention and the shocking announcement by the German government to cut financial support for civil sea rescue operations, the SEA-EYE 5 finally set sail again in mid-July – with a clear course towards humanity!
At this point, we would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who showed solidarity with us at such short notice – whether through donations, signing our petition or sharing our posts on social media!
Thanks to this support, we have been able to bring a total of 31 people to safety on board the SEA-EYE 5 during two rescue operations on our current mission: After less than 24 hours in the area of operation, our crew rescued 14 people on 19 July. One person was dehydrated and spent the night in the sickbay on board. The next day, all rescued persons were able to disembark safely in Reggio Calabria.
On Thursday afternoon (24 July), our crew rescued another 17 people. One person had inhaled too much fuel resulting in dangerously low blood oxygen levels. The patient was given oxygen and treated for dehydration on board, but could not remain on the SEA-EYE 5 for a longer period of time. A helicopter therefore took the person to a hospital in Malta.
A few hours after the helicopter transfer, the health of a second person deteriorated and the crew requested another medical evacuation. An Italian coast guard vessel took them on board and brought them ashore in Lampedusa.
After the rescue operation, the Italian authorities directed the SEA-EYE 5 to the port of Vibo Valentia, which is about 400 nautical miles from the rescue site. After a journey of almost 30 hours, the remaining 15 rescued persons were able to disembark safely on late Friday evening.
Sincerely,
Gorden Isler - Chairman of Sea-Eye e.V.