Irish Navy rescue 8,631 people in past year of Mediterranean missions

The Irish Naval Service rescued 8,631 people during its humanitarian missions in the Mediterranean this year.

The staggering figure was revealed in the Naval Service’s annual report issued yesterday, which also noted that 39 bodies were recovered by the three ships deployed to the area in response to the exodus from Syria.

The men and women of the Naval Service, on behalf of the Defence Forces, received the People of the Year Award for the mission in the Mediterranean in 2015.