This week, the Romanian Border police vessels, stationed in Greece, during the Maritime Joint Operation “Poseidon Rapid Intervention „coordinated by the Frontex Agency, have rescued, during a mission carried out in the Aegean Sea, 86 people in inflatable , overcrowded rafts in danger of sinking.
On the morning of the 02th of June, the border policemen onboard the “Ştefan cel Mare” ship, have participated along with Greek and Portuguese Coast Guard vessels in a patrol, search and rescue mission in the Aegean Sea. Thus, around 00.50, the Romanian border policemen have detected a vessel on radar, overloaded with people, that was slowly moving towards Greek territorial waters.
The intervention ship Zodiac of Ştefan cel Mare was immediately sent out, it monitored the migrant vessel, until it was intercepted by Greek Coast Guard vessel ,which took over and transshipped the 53 people.
Ştefan cel Mare continued on its mission on sea, and a couple of hours later, around 05.20, the Romanian border policemen noticed another small size ship, which contained multiple persons, children and adults. During the action, a person in the migrant vessel fell overboard, being rescued by the Romanian border policemen onboard the intervention ship Zodiac.
During the rescue operation, all 61 persons onboard the inflatable raft were transshipped from the Ştefan cel Mare vessel (11 children, 11 women, 39 men – one of the children being only a few months old). Specific procedures were carried out, during these, the border policemen offered the migrants assistance, food, and first aid.
A few hours later the persons were safely disembarked at the Chios harbor, where they were turned over to the Greek authorities to undergo specific procedures for these cases.
The same day the border policemen onboard the other Romanian vessel (MAI 1104 ), while on mission in the Aegean Sea received information about a small vessel overloaded with people that was in danger of sinking. The observed vessel contained 25 people, which were rescued and transshipped to the Romanian Border Police vessel. The rescued persons (7 children, 12 women, 6 men) were, transported safely to the Chios harbor, where they were turned over to the Greek authorities.
Background information
The maritime intervention and patrol vessel “Ştefan cel Mare” – OVP model , of the Coast Guard participates in the Maritime Joint Operation “Poseidon Rapid Intervention „coordinated by the Frontex Agency (European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union).
The operation takes place in the Aegean Sea, for a month and a half, the maritime patrol and intervention ship, OVP model and the crew on board, comprised of 25 border policemen, executing surveillance and control missions, but also search and rescue, at the external borders of the European Union, along with other EU member states that participate in the mission.
This is the second mission, this year, carried out by the admiral ship of the Romanian Border Police, which, between 27.12.2015- 05.04.2016 was participating in the Maritime Joint Operation “TRITON 2016 „coordinated by the Frontex Agency, which took place at the southern border of Italy.
Next week, the maritime patrol ship MAI 1104, of the Coast Guard, will be returning home after being 2 months (April-May) in Greece, during the Maritime Joint Operation “Poseidon Rapid Intervention „coordinated by the Frontex Agency.
Since the beginning of the Frontex mission (March 2016) the Romanian Border Police ships have carried out, during Frontex Operations, 58 missions, being involved in search and rescue missions on sea, during which they saved , transshipped, and transported approximately 1.800 people (children, women, men) who were in danger of drowning in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea . In all cases, specific procedures were undergone on board the Romanian vessels (triage and medical evaluation), later the persons were transported to Italian and Greek ports and handed over to the authorities.
