At least 945 African migrants were saved in six separate rescue
operations in the Mediterranean on Tuesday, July 12, some 17 miles of
the Libyan coast while four bodies were found dead below the deck of
their boat.
According to Malta-based humanitarian group Migrant Offshore Aid Station
(MOAS), their rescue ship recovered the bodies and 400 survivors from
same boat. The bodies were found in three separate compartments of the
small wooden vessel. The rescued included 150 women and 20 children, the
majority being Eritrean.
“People are packed so tightly in the hold,” said (MOAS) photographer
Mathieu Willcocks,”you wouldn’t realise if someone was simply sleeping
on their friend’s shoulder or unconscious.”
Two other men were found in critical condition. One was given CPR by a
search-and-rescue crew member and an emergency doctor on board and
stabilised enough to be evacuated with an Italian Navy helicopter. The
other migrant was stabilised by emergency staff and is still on the
Responder.
Writing about the tragedy, (MOAS) wrote:
“The scene that unfolded for our crew on the responder in the early
hours of 12th July was one of the worst possible scenarios for any
search and rescue crew that operates on the frontlines of the
Mediterranean crisis. At 04:30 the MOAS Responder spotted this
over-crowded wooden boat at 17nm off the coast of Libya. It was 03:50am
when the Responder’s radar pinged, marking the first contact.
Proceeding towards the echo in complete darkness, by 04:30am our crew
was in sight of the boat, and instantly realised that it was heavily
over-crowded, with far too many people on board for it to be safe. At
05:00am the fast rescue launch was lowered into the water and the
recovery operation began. Half of the rescue was carried out in pitch
black”
It was a very intense morning for all the crew on board, but they know
that it could have been much worse had more time passed. One of the
victims was travelling with his brother while two others had a close
relative with them.
“They were just young men looking to realise their dreams, just like any
of us. I am deeply saddened. My thoughts are with their close ones.”
said Regina Catrambone, MOAS co-founder.