Photo report: Frontex sea rescue

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Photo report - Frontex operation for INS

At the end of 2022, ISOWAY was commissioned by INS to document an exceptional operation by the European agency Frontex. The aim of this photographic report was to cover a simulated rescue of migrants at sea, orchestrated within an international framework and under realistic conditions.

Two men sitting at a conference, with flags and microphones in front of them.
Navy captain's cap with gold embroidery.

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

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Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

A conference in a modern room, with a presenter standing next to a laptop, talking to a group of people seated at tables, listening attentively. The participants wear name tags and appear to be in business attire or uniform. The room is decorated with artwork on the walls.
A member of the "Guardia Costiera" observes several screens in a control room.

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

The exercise involved several ships, a helicopter, a surveillance plane and numerous sailors and specialized personnel, all engaged in the meticulous re-enactment of a humanitarian intervention scenario at sea. As a professional photographer, I had the privilege of getting right to the heart of the action, up close to the teams, in an atmosphere that was at once technical, intense and profoundly human.

The images produced capture the precision of maneuvers, the complexity of coordination operations and the human dimension of rescue missions. This type of reporting demands a high level of responsiveness, constant adaptation to changing conditions, and a keen sense of visual storytelling.

Smiling pilot in flight suit in front of a Guardia Costiera helicopter in hangar.
Close-up of an officer's uniform with a crest bearing marine symbols and Greek text.

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

A man in coastguard uniform looks through binoculars from an observation tower near the sea.

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

Plane and boat on the ocean with distant mountain views.

Photo Paul Marnef / INS / Frontex

This photo report, by photographer Paul Marnef, is fully in line with ISOWAY 's DNA: offering a committed, documented and aesthetic view of large-scale institutional or humanitarian missions. Here, reportage photography is used to promote the transparency of European actions and institutional communication, but also as a visual testimony, essential for understanding contemporary issues on Europe's borders.

Frontex conference badges with blue lanyards on an orange table, text reading "SAR Workshop within JO Themis, 11-13 October 2022, Cagliari, Sardinia Island, Italy".
A border police officer seen from behind, wearing a uniform bearing the words "BORDER POLICE".
Man in military uniform with gold epaulets.
Military personnel in camouflage uniforms sitting at a table, taking part in a meeting with microphones.
Conference with uniformed officers at a table, a man speaking at the podium, and a projection reading "Cagliari, 10-13 October."
International military meeting with uniformed representatives in a conference room, national flags on tables, presentation on a screen, "Squalo 2022" written with the dates October 10-13 in Cagliari.
International meeting with flags of several countries on a table, people discussing with documents and microphones.
A man in uniform with epaulets, wearing glasses, sitting in front of a microphone.
A man in military uniform speaks into a microphone.
Navy caps with gold insignia.
Navy captain's cap with gold badge, anchor and laurel leaves on a blue background.
Marine police uniforms with crests, close-up, in conference room.
A man in military uniform with a Spanish crest on his sleeve, seated at a table. He is wearing a wristwatch and a badge on his jacket. The background is blurred.
Conference with people in military and security uniforms, presentations on screen, "Frontex" banners visible.
Coast Guard control room with two people monitoring computer screens and wall-mounted monitors displaying images and maps.
A man in military uniform with a "Guardia Costiera" badge stands in front of a red-and-white helicopter inside a hangar.
Close-up of a Guardia Costiera helicopter, with a black anchor on a white background and the words "Remove Before Flight".
Pilot in military uniform in front of a helicopter in a hangar.
Coast Guard helicopter with "Guardia Costiera" logo and markings visible on the red and white fuselage.
A smiling pilot stands in front of a Coast Guard helicopter, wearing a flight suit and holding a helmet in a hangar.
Guardia Costiera helicopter with specific equipment attached, inside a hangar.
Helicopter flying over the sea with blue sky and clouds.
A helicopter flying over the sea with a blue sky in the background.
Man in rescue gear hanging from a helicopter in flight, cloudy sky.
Italian coastguard vessel docked, with lifeboats on board, in the evening.
Man wearing a blue safety helmet and glasses, pointing and holding gloves. He is wearing overalls with flag insignia. Several other people in hard hats and safety gear can be seen in the background.
Three members of the Italian Guardia Costiera in the cockpit of a ship.
Four people in uniform are in a ship's control room, handling navigation equipment.
Man in naval uniform using binoculars.
Uniformed maritime crew in a ship's command post, using navigation equipment.
Italian Coast Guard lifeboat with personnel on board.
Rescue operation at sea with one person on a stretcher aboard a boat.
Rescue at sea by rescuers on a boat with a stretcher.
Military helicopter in flight under a cloudy sky over the sea.
An injured person is lying on an orange stretcher, wearing a life jacket, surrounded by rescuers in safety gear. His face is covered with visible wounds.
Rescue team on a boat, with a dummy on a stretcher for a sea rescue exercise.
Sea rescue helicopter, suspended person, boat.
Helicopter carrying out a maritime rescue operation over a ship.
Sea rescue scene, with a lifeguard in orange outfit helping two people wearing life jackets, one wrapped in a survival blanket.
Four people on a boat, including two seated women wearing orange survival blankets and life jackets, and two rescue personnel wearing red safety vests and masks.
A person in a lifejacket is assisted by rescuers dressed in marine rescue gear.
Coast Guard helicopter performing a rescue operation at sea, seen from the deck of a ship.
A group of uniformed servicemen chat around an interactive screen on a ship.
Boat with helicopter flying overhead, staff on deck, sea and mountains in background.
Helicopter hovering over the sea, orange and white lifeboat on the water, cloudy sky.