The crew of the panamax Afroessa rescued 41 people in distress in the Mediterranean, after receiving an urgent distress call from Egypt’s joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC).
The operation began on the night of August 12, 2026, when the ship received an urgent distress call from the JRCC, reporting a vessel carrying a number of people in severe danger in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the information, the captain Jonel Gerry S. Castillo and his crew altered course and proceeded immediately to the distress position.
After locating a rubber boat in the early hours of 13 August, they conducted rescue operations under challenging conditions.
A total of 41 men, women and children were rescued and brought safely on board Afroessa. The operation was completed without losing any human life.
Alassia NewShips Management coordinated the operation in cooperation with the JRCC Cairo, the Egyptian navy, army and port authorities at El Dekheila, the shipping deputy ministry of Cyprus, the insurers, agents and other stakeholders.
More specifically, in a relevant post on LinkedIn, the shipping company stated: “We are deeply proud of our crew. Their prompt willingness to assist others in distress at sea – and the skill with which they carried out this rescue – reflects the values that define Alassia NewShips Management Inc: a genuine, human-centric culture where the safety and dignity of life at sea always comes first. The crew of Afroessa demonstrated exactly that, and we commend each and every one of them.
“A rescue of this nature requires far more than the actions of those on board. Our shore-based team worked through the night to coordinate a complex, multi-party operation – liaising with the vessel, her flag, our insurers and agents as well as the Egyptian authorities – to ensure all 41 rescued persons were disembarked safely and without incident on August 14.”
The company expressed its gratitude to the JRCC Cairo for the initial coordination and their support throughout the operation, as well as to the Egyptian navy army and port authorities at El Dekheila for facilitating a smooth and dignified disembarkation.
They also thanked NorthStandard and Kalimbassieris Maritime for their immediate guidance and on-the-ground assistance, the shipping deputy ministry of Cyprus for their responsive engagement as the flag state – and the World Marine Egypt for the support and arrangements that made the port call operation, as they said, seamless.
“Above all, our thanks go to Captain Castillo and the entire crew of Afroessa,” the company underlined, pointing out that the seafarers honored in practice the fundamental principle of international maritime tradition: the obligation to provide assistance to every person in distress at sea.
