Man Overboard in Messina Strait - Italian Coast Guard Issues Distress Call

Source: MRCC Roma - Italian Coast Guard

The Italian Coast Guard has issued a distress call regarding a man overboard incident in the Messina Strait.

Vessel: M/V WMF EXPRESS
Port of Departure: Navodari (Midia), Romania
Date and Time of Departure: March 8, 00:52 UTC (10 days ago)
IMO / MMSI: 9004413 / 630001083
Flag: Guinea-Bissau
Length / Breadth: 109 / 20 m

Details:

A man went overboard from a vessel sometime before the last known contact at 21:00 UTC on March 17, 2024.
Last known position: Latitude 38°01'0" North, Longitude 15°03'30" East.
The M/V WMF Express reported a man overboard at position 37°05'1" North, 15°05'5" East.

All vessels transiting the area are urged to be vigilant and maintain a sharp lookout for any sign of the missing person. Any sightings should be reported immediately to the MRCC Roma.

Ships receiving this message are requested to acknowledge receipt by email to the Italian Coast Guard, including their vessel's satellite phone number.

The SOLAS Convention and the SAR Convention (Hamburg 1979) require vessels to assist in search and rescue operations whenever possible.

We urge all vessels in the area to assist in this search effort.

More Info:

The ship is currently (08:25 24-03-18) headed towards the port of Messina.

The ship searched for the man at sea all night, as can be seen from the AIS plot:

UPDATE 2024-03-18 20:00 UTC

The ship set sail from Messina for the port of Koper.

Reported ETA: Tue 20, 1pm

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