Lecture on the situation of sea rescue in the Mediterranean

In 2025, tens of thousands of people once again attempted to cross the Mediterranean. Almost 2,000 of them drowned and over 25,000 were returned to Libya - to camps where torture and violence are the order of the day. Libyan militias shot at rescue ships and Italy continued to massively obstruct civilian sea rescue operations. And yet this issue is increasingly disappearing from the public eye.

In this lecture, Kai Echelmeyer, experienced sea rescuer and Sea-Eye board member, reports on his last mission on the SEA-EYE 5. The crew was able to rescue 57 people from an overcrowded wooden boat that had been taking on water for hours. Using edited footage, he provides a personal and close-up insight into the actual rescue operation.

Based on these experiences, he also describes the current challenges of civilian sea rescue - from armed militias and political blockades to distant ports.

Afterwards, there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

About the speaker: Kai Echelmeyer is 31 years old. He was born in Münsterland and has made Cologne his adopted home. In his work for Sea-Eye, he has already been on four rescue missions in the Mediterranean himself and has been involved in various roles for the organization since 2019 - currently as a volunteer board member and operations coordinator.