Irish Naval Ship Rescues 423 People
The Irish naval vessel LÉ James Joyce rescued 423 migrants from 18 separate vessels on Saturday during a search and rescue operation 40 nautical miles northwest of Tripoli, Libya.
The Irish Naval Service described the operation as complex. The rescue operation lasted over five hours. The rescued migrants were given water and medical treatment.
LÉ James Joyce participated in the rescue mission on foot of a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre.
In addition to the migrants brought onboard the LÉ James Joyce, the ship acted as on scene coordinator for 5 NGO vessels who rescued an additional 1500 migrants from the 18 vessels.
LÉ James Joyce has rescued 1,882 people to date (excluding the current rescue).