Life Support (ship) is a converted offshore supply vessel operated by the Italian NGO Emergency for Search and rescue of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean. [1] [2] The ship has been active in this role since December 2022. [3] It has a crew of 28, and can carry up to 175 rescued passengers. [2] On its first mission, it rescued 142 people. [1]
The ship sails under the Flag of Panama. [4] It is 51m [4] (52m [5] according to other sources) in length and has a beam of 12m. [5]
The ship was formerly called Sanco Chaser, and was built in 2002 [5] for the Norwegian company Sanco. [4]
On 4 November 2024, Life Support disembarked 72 rescued people at the port of Livorno, bringing the total number rescued by Life Support since December 2022 to 2,293. [6]
In September 2025, Life Support was dispatched to support the Global Sumud Flotilla trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is undergoing famine during the ongoing assumed genocide. [7]