The Romanian Border Guards (RBGs) on board of the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1102 of the Coast Guard, within a mission within the Joint Maritime Operation "THEMIS 2022" under the coordination of the Frontex Agency, rescued, during the patrol in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, 108 people who were on board of a drifting yacht.
During Wednesday, 26th of October 2022, the competent Italian authorities transfered information about a type of boat, adrift, in the Mediterranean Sea, on board of which there were several people.
At once, a SAR ("search and rescue" operation) was launched under the command of the International Coordination Center of the Italian Republic in the territorial waters of this state. To the request answered the commander of the Romanian Coast Guard vessel MAI 1102, on mission within the Joint Maritime Operation "THEMIS 2022" under the coordination of the Frontex Agency. The yacht was rapidly identified on radar and visually by the crew.
Over the night, October 26/27, 2022, Romanian border police officers together with colleagues from an Italian Coast Guard vessel CP 941 came to the aid of the people on board the vessel. Following the rescue operation, 108 people were recovered, including 93 men, 7 women and 8 children, coming from Iraq, Iran, Morocco and Egypt.
All the persons were transshipped safely on board the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1102 of the RBP and brought to the port of Crotone, where they were taken over by the Italian authorities for temporary accommodation and the initiation of specific procedures in such situations.
Upon completion of the rescue operation, the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1102 resumed its mission within the Frontex operation.
We remind you that the coastal patrol vessel of the Romanian Border Police performs individual patrol, surveillance, search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, and the main objective of the joint maritime operation is to support the Italian authorities in the surveillance and control of the maritime borders of the European Union, as well as to search and rescue of persons in distress at sea (Search and Rescue) at the external border of the European Union.
