MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Liberian Coast Guard (LCG), a maritime service branch of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), leading a search and rescue operations on 19 July 2021 at the LCG base around 0730 hrs welcomed at least 11 Liberians rescued from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Little Bassa and Marshall. This success story occurred after a locally registered vessel, MV Niko Ivanka, sunk about 4 Nautical Miles off the coast of Liberia. MV Niko Ivanka took off Saturday, 17 July 2021, from the Port of Monrovia and was headed for Harper City, Maryland County which is located in the Southeastern part of Liberia. The vessel was believed to have 9 crew members (1 Swedish, 2 Chinese, and 6 Liberians), 9 WAEC staffers, and others.
The Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations started late Saturday evening on July 17, 2021, after the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) about 1600 hrs informed the Liberian Coast Guard that a vessel named MV NIKO IVANKA was in distress and had requested SOS. The LCG which was on its regular patrols in Cape Mount County area near the Sierra Leonean border was rerouted to begin the SAR Operations.
The LCG along with the US-based non-governmental, non-profit marine conservation group, Sea Shepherd, disclosed that about 26 individuals were on board the Niko Ivanka at the point of sinking. SAR Operations will continue up to 48 hrs in search of any surviving persons and after we will transition to the recovery of any dead based on the recommendations from the SAR team conducting the mission. There the first batch of 11 survivors arrived on
