Irish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel LÉ Samuel Beckett rescued 128 migrants during two search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea on October 3.
Following a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, the LÉ Samuel Beckett first located and rescued 19 migrants, 42 nautical miles NE of Tripoli.
The migrants were brought on board LÉ Samuel Beckett, where they received food, water and medical treatment where required. They were later transferred to another ship operating in the area, the MV Dignity 1.
In the second operation of the day, 109 migrants were rescued from a rubber craft and brought on board LÉ Samuel Beckett and later transferred to the MV Dignity 1.
According to the Irish Navy, its vessels contributed to the rescue of 12,500 migrants since joining the mission in May 2016.
In April, 2016, the Irish government decided it would dedicate three vessels to the rescue missions in the Mediterranean. According to the Irish defense forces, two rotations, involving three naval service vessels deployed, are planed. Each deployment would last approximately 12 weeks.