“All crew, all crew – prepare for rescue.”
With this announcement, a rescue mission often begins for the crew of SOS Humanity in the Mediterranean Sea. Within seconds, the atmosphere on board changes. Life jackets are secured, rescue boats are prepared, and medical teams move into position.
Every movement is automatic. Everything the crew has practiced during countless drills now becomes reality.
Somewhere on the horizon, a small boat has been spotted. Often overcrowded. Often without life jackets. Sometimes carrying more than a hundred people.
Approaching the Boat
Once the target is confirmed, fast RHIB rescue boats are launched from the rescue vessel. The crews approach slowly and carefully, because even a small mistake could cause an unstable boat to capsize.
The first words spoken are always the same:
“Hello everyone. We are here to help you. Please stay calm and inside the boat.”
Then the rescue begins.
Children are evacuated first.
Then women.
Then men.
Life jackets are passed from hand to hand. People carefully step from one boat to another. Every movement must remain calm and controlled, because panic in these situations can quickly become dangerous.
What may appear like a logistical operation is in reality a deeply human moment — people reaching out across the water, trusting strangers in one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Safety for Those Who Rescue
Sea rescue operations are physically and mentally demanding. Crews operate in rough conditions, close to unstable boats and often with many people in distress at the same time.
To increase their own safety and to provide additional buoyancy in critical situations, SOS Humanity crews also use RESTUBE rescue devices during their missions.
Two systems are used in particular:
- RESTUBE AUTOMATIC 180 – designed for professional maritime environments and offshore operations
- RESTUBE AUTOMATIC 75 – a compact automatic buoyancy support for additional safety during rescue work
Both devices inflate automatically when they come into contact with water, providing immediate buoyancy when every second matters.
Humanity 1 – A Ship Dedicated to Rescue
SOS Humanity is a German non-governmental organization based in Berlin that conducts civilian search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea. The organization was founded in 2015 and operates the rescue vessel Humanity 1, which has been active since 2022.
The mission is clear: rescue people in distress at sea, provide medical assistance, and bring them to a safe port.
Many of the people rescued are fleeing war, violence, persecution, or extreme poverty and attempt the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in fragile boats.
A Mission Built on Humanity
For the rescue crews, every operation is demanding — both physically and emotionally.
As one crew member describes it:
“The hands reaching out are not statistics or talking points. They are people.”
Civilian sea rescue is ultimately about one simple principle: saving human lives.
At RESTUBE, our mission is to make water safer — for professionals, for athletes, and for people who help others in critical situations.
We are proud to support organizations like SOS Humanity in their work.
Facts About Sea Rescue in the Mediterranean
SOS Humanity
- Founded: 2015 in Berlin, Germany
- Rescue vessel: Humanity 1, operating since 2022
- Civilian search-and-rescue NGO focused on humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean
- Funded largely through donations and civil society support
Civilian Sea Rescue in the Mediterranean
- Since 2014, more than 32,000 people have died or gone missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
- In 2024 alone, around 2,300 deaths or disappearances were recorded on this migration route.
- The Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.
- Between 2015 and 2023, more than 615,000 people were rescued at sea in the Mediterranean region.
- In 2026, hundreds of additional deaths have already been recorded in the first months of the year.
These numbers highlight the continued importance of search and rescue operations carried out by both state and civilian organizations.
