Life Support (ship)

Last updated
EmergencyLifesupport.jpg
Life Support in 2025 in Livorno
History
BuilderLarsnes Mek. Verksted, Norway
Completed2002
In service2002
Identification
General characteristics
Class & typeDNV + 1A1, EO
Tonnage1,346  GRT [1]
Length51.3 metres (168 ft) [1]
Beam12 metres (39 ft) [1]
Draught5.5 metres (18 ft)
Propulsion2 x 6MDZC diesel engines with 1800 hp at 1000 rpm
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)

Life Support is a converted offshore supply vessel operated by the Italian NGO Emergency for Search and rescue of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean. [2] [3] The ship has been active in this role since December 2022. [4] It has a crew of 28, and can carry up to 175 rescued passengers. [3] On its first mission, it rescued 142 people. [2]

The ship sails under the Flag of Panama. [5]

History

The ship was build in Norway in 2002 as Sanco Chaser for the Norwegian company Sanco Shipping AS. [1] It was used as a supply vessel for seismic evaluation ships, allowing them to stay longer in their area of operation. [6]

In 2022 the ship was sold and converted at the San Giorgio shipyard in Genoa to serve as a rescue vessel for the Italian NGO Emergency. It left for its first mission on 13 December 2022. [6]

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. [7]

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. [8]

In early 2026, the activists complained that they are regularly being followed by unmarked vessels. Several rescue attempts in spring 2026 failed, and the migrant boats they were looking for were found empty or empty and half sunk, with the people on board having been taken back to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard. On 8 April 2026 the activists picked up 71 migrants in international waters and were assigned the Italian port of La Spezia in northern Italy for disembarkation. [9] After disembarking the 71 migrants on 12 April, captain Gabriele Padovan was quoted saying "(...) we wish the newly disembarked people the best for their future", while the ships doctor hoped for the migrants to receive all the physical and psychological care they need in Italy. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION M/V SANCO CHASER" (PDF). www.bp.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  2. 1 2 "Migrants: NGO Life Support with 142 on board docks in Livorno - General news". ANSAMed. 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  3. 1 2 "LIFE SUPPORT: Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean Sea". EMERGENCY. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  4. ↑ "Italy: Rescue ships forced to make longer journeys". InfoMigrants. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  5. ↑ "Converted OSV Placed into Service as Migrant Rescue Ship". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  6. 1 2 "Converted OSV Placed into Service as Migrant Rescue Ship". starconcord.com.sg. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "72 People Rescued by Life Support Disembark in Livorno - Italy | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Eıd, Saber Ghanem Ibrahım; Abu Shamala, Rania (4 September 2025). "Italian NGO to dispatch rescue vessel to join Gaza-bound flotilla". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "La Life Support di Emergency sbarca domenica 12 aprile alla Spezia: a bordo 71 naufraghi" [Emergency's Life Support ship lands in La Spezia on Sunday, April 12th: 71 shipwrecked people on board]. reliefweb.int (in Italian). 10 April 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "La Spezia, sbarcati 71 migranti soccorsi da Emergency". La repubblica . 12 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.