The total of 237 refugees will be turned over to the authorities upon arrival to Italy, Splošna plovba shipping company head Egon Bandelj told the STA.

The cargo ship came to the rescue since it was the nearest sailing nearby. The boat most likely broke down due to overload, according to Bandelj.

"Luckily, the sea was calm. We can only imagine what would have happened if the weather got worse," Bandelj said.

Most of the refugees are coming from Syria, Libya, Egypt and Somalia. The ship captain reported that they were all in good health, even if a bit shocked upon rescue.