Rescue NGO flies surveillance flight, claims dead body shows new shipwreck

The rescue NGO Sea-Watch has reported a dead body found at sea by the civil surveillance aircraft Colibri, which it said could indicate a new shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. 

The German NGO’s rescue crew has been stranded in Malta after authorities prevented the boat from departing the island, following a stand-off with Italy over the reception of a group of rescued migrants. 

“The lack of suitable rescue assets and the blockade of the civil rescue fleet, turn the central Mediterranean into a deadly black box,” Sea-Watch said in a statement to report shipwrecks of migrant boats taking place at sea. 

The NGO said one such shipwreck in September was only made known because Medecins Sans Frontieres, which was recently carrying out rescues on the MV Aquarius with the NGO SOS Mediterranée, had interviewed survivors. 

“Now a dead body spotted by the aircrew of Sea-Watch and the French NGO Pilotes Volontaires, likely indicates yet another shipwreck. The crossing through the central Mediterranean has already became the deadliest in the world according to official numbers of the IOM, however the real death toll might be much higher, today’s sad discovery shows.” 

The floating body was found north of the Libyan town Zuwarah, a frequent spot for boat people to to cross over to Europe. 

“While Joseph Muscat is tweeting pictures of cute rescued dogs, this is the reality at sea, he wants to hide, by hindering civil rescue assets to do their duty,” Tamino Böhm, Head of Airborne Operations with Sea-Watch, who was on board of the Colibri aircraft, said.

“Today’s sad discovery is especially worrying, as it shows, the death toll on the Mediterranean sea might be in fact much higher than official numbers suggest. It is a scandal, that European authorities turn the Mediterranean into a deadly black box, by hindering civil sea rescue from taking place. Even more important is our role bearing witness of what is going on at the European external borders from the air.”