The Bourbon Argos was an offshore supply vessel that was repurposed and operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, for humanitarian search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Its primary mission was to rescue migrants and refugees attempting to cross the sea from North Africa to Europe, particularly during the peak of the European migrant crisis.
Originally built as a platform supply vessel (PSV) for the oil and gas industry, the Bourbon Argos was chartered by MSF and converted to serve as a rescue ship. It featured a medical clinic on board, staffed by a team of doctors, nurses, and cultural mediators, to provide immediate medical assistance to rescued individuals. The vessel was equipped with fast rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) to conduct rescues from often overcrowded and unseaworthy dinghies and rafts.
The Bourbon Argos began its operations in May 2016, primarily active in the central Mediterranean route, off the coast of Libya. During its operational period, it participated in numerous rescue missions, saving thousands of lives. MSF utilized the vessel to highlight the humanitarian crisis and the lack of adequate state-led search and rescue capacity in the region.
In October 2017, MSF announced the suspension of its search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, including those involving the Bourbon Argos, citing an increasingly hostile environment created by European policies and the actions of the Libyan Coast Guard. After ceasing its SAR missions, the vessel was returned to its original owners.