LÉ Samuel Beckett crew rescue 316 refugees in three operations

The crew of LÉ Samuel Beckett edged close to their 1,000th refugee rescue in the Mediterranean Sea after they were involved in three operations yesterday — rescuing a total of 316 people.

The first began at 4.10am Irish time when they spotted a rubber dinghy crammed with 108 people floating in the sea 60km north-east of the coast of the Libyan capital Tripoli.

The navy ship launched its Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBS) to the dinghy, removing the refugees and transferring them to the Médecins Sans Frontières ship MV Bourbon Argos which gave them food and medical attention.