The first ever private migrant rescue mission was launched yesterday off Malta, but the first people it saved turned out to be a Maltese fisherman and his five-year-old son.

The Phoenix, a 40-metre vessel that will serve as the platform for the operation, set sail from Grand Harbour in the morning for a 20-day mission.

As it was returning to Malta to pick up some equipment in the evening, it came across a very worried fisherman whose boat was drifting off Delimara with a stalled engine.

The man managed to catch the attention of the Phoenix crew by waving and then tied up alongside until help came for him and his son.

The ship’s first mission had started in choppy waters, giving a glimpse into what it must feel like to be stranded on the high seas.

It headed for international waters to give journalists a live demonstration of its rescue capabilities.

Once there, with no land in sight, even a 40-metre vessel did not provide complete reassurance in the substantial swell.

The launch comes about a year after the benefactors behind the project, Chris and Regina Catrambone, resolved to do something about the growing deaths of migrants at sea.

They responded to an appeal by Pope Francis, who made the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa his first stop outside Rome to decry the “shameful” deaths of so many people, and resolved to set up the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS). The mission’s launch comes after some 200 migrants went missing on Saturday when their boat capsized off Libya and Italy reported rescuing around 3,200 migrants at the weekend.

Luckily, there were no people needing help yesterday. Instead the vessel was greeted by a pod of dolphins which accompanied the Phoenix for a good stretch of the way.

Speaking at the launch, the Catrambones said the basic driving force behind MOAS was the basic belief that “nobody deserves to die at sea”.

Our focus is on the young children who find themselves on an unsafe boat through no fault of their own. We believe they deserve to be saved

“Our focus is on the young children who find themselves on an unsafe boat through no fault of their own. We believe they deserve to be saved.

“They might be sent back or face problems in Europe. But at least they did not die at sea. And maybe one day they will grow up and dedicate some of their time, money and energy to helping others. This is the spirit of our mission,” Ms Catrambone said.

The aim of the mission, which technically starts tomorrow, is not to ferry migrants to Malta or Italy unless directed to by the military of either country.

Instead, the Phoenix will act as a station out at sea that will help identify vessels at risk and give first assistance in coordination with the military forces of Malta and Italy.

The vessel is equipped with two small, unmanned helicopters with mounted cameras, which will give the professional crew controlling them eyes in the sky over vast areas at sea.

The man leading the operation, retired Armed Forces of Malta commander Martin Xuereb, said the drones would give the Phoenix the opportunity to patrol large areas and spot boats in distress, via infrared sensors on the choppers that detect the heat signatures of stranded vessels.

The cameras will be able to give the crew images so sharp that you could read from a piece of paper in the hand of someone on the vessel.

Looking back, Mr Xuereb said yesterday’s launch was an achievement when considering the hurdles that had to be overcome for the ship to set sail. “But this is the start really, now we’ll see where we manage to take it from here.” The Catrambones are now hoping that others will join their cause. Some have already done so.

Merit Training, an Irish offshore medical training company based in Malta, is offering the services of a paramedic who will be based on the Phoenix permanently while out at sea, while a Houston-based NGO Medical Bridges donated more than €100,000 worth of medical supplies. The couple have already poured in more than €4 million of their own cash, though when asked they do not like to talk about the money aspect.

“Obviously we do not have bottomless pockets but more than anything, we wish to inspire people to join in, in whichever way they can.”