LÉ Samuel Beckett assists in rescue of 140 migrants off Libya

The LÉ Samuel Beckett assisted in the rescue of 140 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday.

The crew aboard the Irish Naval Service ship was called to assist Italian authorities in transferring the migrants from a rubber vessel to the MS Aquarius.

The operation began at 8.30am about 42 kilometres off the coast of Tripoli and the people were transferred to the rescue vessel by 9.50am, where they received food, water and medical treatment where necessary, according to a statement from the Irish Defence Forces.

The LÉ Samuel Beckett departed Cork on September 23rd to assist Italian authorities with humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

On Monday, the crew rescued 508 migrants during another search and rescue operations off the coast off Tripoli.