Seaways Sabine Rescues 31 from Life Raft in Mediterranean

On July 16, the USS Bulkeley Warship 84 reached out to the crude oil tanker Seaways Sabine for assistance in rescuing 20 people spotted in a life raft approximately 100 nautical miles off the Egyptian coast and around 3-4 nautical miles from the tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.

The crew of Seaways Sabine quickly launched a search and rescue operation to locate the life raft.

Challenging weather conditions and poor visibility initially hampered the rescue efforts. However, the crew of Seaways Sabine employed drones to aid in the search, ultimately discovering 31 individuals aboard the life raft, rather than the initially reported 20.

All 31 individuals were rescued and brought aboard the tanker. They were found to be suffering from dehydration, sunburn, and other injuries. The crew of Seaways Sabine promptly provided medical care, food, and clothing to the rescued individuals. Unfortunately, one person did not survive, while the remaining 30 were treated and stabilized.

The crew coordinated with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers (JRCC) in Athens and Cairo, as well as the USS Bulkeley, to arrange for the medical evacuation of critical patients and the deceased individual.

Two days later, on July 18, the survivors were transferred from the shipto the Egyptian Navy vessel Alal Main 115.

No information has been released regarding the nationality of the rescued individuals or the circumstances that led them to be in the life raft in the Mediterranean Sea.