Interview with captain Van Zadel on dutch TV
393 syrians saved including 70 children
The Erasmusgracht was contacted by Italian borderguards on the 5th of december at 4pm concerning a boat in distress which was detected by a (Frontex?) plane. Some 3 other boats were also in the region. The Erasmusgracht was the first in action sailing to the location and arrived at 18h.
According to transport company Spliethoff, with which Erasmusgracht sails, each ship should comply with a distress call, but that does not happen always. A spokesman for the ship’s owner, shipping company Spliethoff, told the dutch national broadcaster NOS a German merchant ship had refused to help the migrants and sailed away.
Dutch merchant ship picks up 320 migrants drifting in Mediterranean Sea
A Dutch merchant ship has rescued 320 migrants adrift in a boat in the Mediterranean Sea, broadcaster Nos said on Saturday. The Erasmusgracht was heading from Turkey to Poland when it spotted the boat carrying the migrants,some 250 miles south east of the Italian coast. According to NOS, the boat had been drifting for two days after the motor failed. The crew had left in a motor boat, leaving their passengers to fend for themselves. Some of the people on board are in a bad way, including several children, NOS said. They had food on board but nothing to drink and several had drunk sea water. The Erasmusgracht is now moored off the coast of Sicily, where it hopes to leave the migrants. A spokesman for the ship’s owner, shipping company Spliethoff, told the broadcaster a German merchant ship had refused the help the migrants and sailed away.