US Navy Saves 282 in Mediterranean

The US Navy rescued 282 people in the Mediterranean Sea following a call yesterday from the Italian military. Those rescued were apparently migrants from Africa; one of their six boats had begun to sink. The USS Bataan sent a pair of helicopters to the scene, and swimmers rescued those in the water with the help of the USS Elrod. After the rescue, those saved ended up in the care of Malta's military, with five people hospitalized in the country. Refugees often enter the EU through Italy, CNN notes. The Bataan is typically based in Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot notes; it's in the Mediterranean amid concerns over instability in Libya. (More Navy stories.)