An offshore support vessel owned by Siem Offshore has rescued more than 2,000 migrants in the Mediterranean over the weekend.
In a huge operation, the 4,800-dwt Siem Pilot (built 2010) helped stranded people off Libya to be brought to safety.
Around 2,400 migrants in total were rescued. However, 17 dead bodies were brought ashore on board the Siem Pilot, local media reported.
According to quotes from local media, the ship was surrounded by several rubber boats, in a scene that has been described as “chaos”.
“We were to transfer 1,000 migrants from a tanker over to Siem Pilot when suddenly several rubber boats appeared,” said mission leader Pal Erik Teigen. “It seemed completely hopeless.”
