American millionaire and family save refugees

The American millionaire Christopher Catrambone has been spending several months on his ship in the Mediterranean for the second year: together with his wife and daughter, he is saving African refugees trying to get to Europe.

33-year-old entrepreneur from New Orleans Christopher Catrambone made a fortune in the insurance business: the Tangiers Group company he founded sells insurance to hot spots for the military, journalists, non-governmental organizations.

In July, 2013, relaxing with his family on a yacht in the Mediterranean, Catrambone noticed someone's clothes in the water. It soon became clear that a boat with refugees from Africa sank near the Italian island of Lampedusa - 380 people died. Returning from a cruise, a businessman became interested in the problem of migration in the region and founded a charitable foundation to save migrants MOAS.

From August to October 2014, the crew of the Phoenix under the leadership of Catrambone saved three thousand refugees from sinking ships. From May to July, 2015, more than five thousand people were saved.

Mediterranean route

The peak season of migration falls in the warm season - from March to October. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria, Somalia, Eritrea and other countries are trying to swim to Malta and the southern shores of Europe. In the 2014 year in the Mediterranean, according to the UN, 3419 people died, from January to June 2015, the number of victims exceeded two thousand. Boats depart from the coast of Libya, most of them are poorly equipped and overloaded, and therefore crash a few kilometers from land.

"Phoenix"

During the raids "Phoenix" runs in neutral waters off the coast of Libya. If the crew receives a distress signal or discovers a boat with migrants on its own, it contacts the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Rome and awaits further instructions.

Typically, migrants are taken aboard by commercial or military vessels that are nearby, but the Phoenix is ​​still the only ship that can simultaneously accommodate 400 people and provide them with first aid. The rescued are delivered to Italy and handed over to the authorities.

The month of Phoenix work costs 600 thousand euros. The first year the fund existed on the money of Catrambone - a businessman has spent more than two million dollars - but now works, mainly through donations.