Read Authentic Ratings for the Kimberly-C

On Jan 20, 2026, a boat with several people on board, was adrift in stormy seas off the coast of Sardinia. A merchant ship had raised the alarm around 1:30 p.m. spotting a small boat, seven to eight meters long, nearly 70 nautical miles west of the Sardinian island of San Pietro. The MRCC in Rome then alerted the CROSS Med, which coordinated a rescue operation. A Falcon 50 maritime surveillance aircraft from the French Navy, based at Lann-Bihoué in Morbihan, and a Puma SAR helicopter from the French Air and Space Force, based at Solenzara in Corsica, were mobilised. Italy also deployed two helicopters to participate in the aerial search. At sea, two merchant ships were diverted to join the operation. Bad weather conditions, strong winds and waves, hampered the search on the evening, but the aircraft continued operations throughout the night. On Jan 21 at around 4:00 a.m., a French Navy patrol plane finally located the drifting vessel in serious difficulty and capsized. The aircraft then dropped several SAR lines, consisting of life rafts and distress light. At around 6:00 a.m., the 'Kimberly C', en route from Tanger Med to Barcelona, which was part of the SAR operation, rescued one person, suffering from hypothermia. After a 30-hour search, the Maritime Prefect of the Mediterranean announced on the evening the end of the search in the absence of new information allowing the relocation of any possible survivors. Vessels in the area were urged to maintain a vigilant watch for any sign of life.