The Italian Navy engaged in three rescue operations saving the lives of hundreds of migrants that reached the Strait of Sicily from the North African coasts onboard rickety boats on Friday.
ITS Sirio rescued 105 migrants from an inflatable boat. The vessel then reached the Singaporean motor ship Stjerneborg to take onboard 55 more people rescued from a sunken boat, before resuming the search for other survivors.
Frigate Aliseo rescued 96 migrants from a wooden boat; amphibious vessel San Giusto rescued 105 migrants from an inflatable boat with buoyancy problems, and then moved to take onboard 229 migrants rescued by the Norwegian cargo ship Bourbon Orca.
Italian Navy’s EH helicopter from Lampedusa supported the units during their operations. Moreover, on Friday afternoon the Patrol Vessel CP 302 from the Coast Guard rescued 33 migrants and ferried them to Lampedusa.
[mappress] Press Release, September 29, 2014; Image: Italian Navy