Two philanthropists are in the final stages of preparing what is
thought to be the first privately-funded search and rescue operation for
migrants in the Mediterranean. Regina Catrambone, a Malta-based businesswoman, told the Guardian
she and her American husband were planning to launch their inaugural mission
next month using drone technology and a boat once used for search and rescue in
the United States. "These people are desperate," she said. "We just want
to make sure that they do not die in desperation."
Catrambone said they had engaged a retired head of the Maltese armed
forces to take charge of the operation. They are awaiting delivery of two
Schiebel S-100 camcopters that would enable them to get a sighting of migrants
in distress long before they could be reached by conventional search and rescue
services. She said their Migrant Offshore Aid Station
(MOAS) would not try to compete with Maltese or Italian rescuers. "We want
to help them. We want to support them," she said. But Italian-born Catrambone acknowledged
that "until they see the value of our work, they may have doubts".
