VIDEO: Navy saves more migrants crossing Mediterranean

Naval Service flagship LÉ Eithne has saved more migrants’ lives after picking up the occupants of a small fibreglass boat who had run out of food, water and fuel five days into an attempted crossing of the Mediterranean Sea.

The navy ship had just left the Sicilian port of Palermo after dropping off more than 400 migrants she had saved in recent days when she was put on alert again after a distress signal was received by the Italian authorities.

Extra lookouts were posted on the flagship as she steamed towards the area where the six-metre long fibreglass boat was believed to be located.

At around 8am local time yesterday a lookout spotted the vessel, which had just one outboard motor, roughly 30 miles north of Lampedusa, the largest of the Italian Pelagie Islands.

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The ship’s most senior officer Commander Pearse O’Donnell gave the order to launch her RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats), which sped out to the foundering vessel’s help.

The boarding crews rescued the 12 male occupants of the boat and brought them to the safety of LÉ Eithne where they were immediately given medical aid.

A Defence Forces’ spokesman said the men, whose nationalities are as yet unknown, were “very dehydrated” and there was no “fuel, food or water onboard”. He said the fibreglass boat had departed Tripoli five days earlier.

LÉ Eithne co-ordinated with another vessel which took the men onboard and she then returned to her search and rescue role.

It was the fourth successful operation, bringing to a total of 649 migrants saved since it began operations.