Responsibility for saving lives at sea is the responsibility of all countries and all seafarers regardless of where and when a ship might be in distress. The responsibility to save lives at sea is enshrined in several international conventions, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Over the past week, Hafnia Bering and Hafnia Mikala were both involved in two separate yet similar rescue missions, at two different locations in the Mediterranean Sea and off the Coast of Mexico respectively. The crews of Hafnia Bering and Hafnia Mikala responded to requests for assistance from local rescue authorities in the provision of providing shelter and in escorting rescue boats to safer waters in regard to rescue missions involving refugee boats, with hundreds of migrants in distress.
Whilst it is a seafarer’s duty to preserve the safety of lives at sea, a rescue mission is not a straightforward task – often involving adverse weather conditions and a complex unfolding of circumstances affecting both the distressed and the safety of crew.
Captain Magone Vitola, the Master of Hafnia Bering conveyed the involvement of her crew including intense coordination in vessel positioning, approach, planning of the operation, security, covid precautions, safety of the ship and crew and most importantly in consideration of human lives in distress. “I am grateful to my crew for their dedication and readiness to assist with the necessary requests. I am lucky to have such professional and kind personnel on board.”
We thank the Hafnia crews aboard the Hafnia Bering and Hafnia Mikala (Technical Managers Thome) for their courage and in helping to keep our seas safe.
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