RV Atlantis

Last Friday night, only twelve hours into a 15 day Mediterranean voyage, the research vessel Atlantis received a mayday call, relayed by the Greek Coast Guard reporting a fishing boat in distress about 40 miles away, near the island of Kythera. They found a fifty foot long fishing boat overloaded with 93 Egyptian men. In 30 knot winds and 6 to 8 foot seas, the crew of the Atlantis was able to rescue everyone aboard the fishing boat, and deliver them to the southern Greek port of Kalamata. The men taken off the fishing boat are believed to have been fleeing Egypt bound for Italy or Greece.

Woods Hole ship captain details rescue
Greece: Migrants rescued from stranded trawler

After carrying the refugees to port, the 274-foot ship returned to begin its mission of researching “Mediterranean Deep Brines,”  the chemistry and possible life in brine lakes about two miles deep in the Mediterranean Sea. The research vessel (R/V) Atlantis is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Thanks to Captain Richard Bailey for passing the news along.