One patient who was evacuated is eight months pregnant, but has complications and can no longer feel her baby. She also has burns on her legs. Another person has a broken hand and needs an X-ray and further treatment. One person with epilepsy ran out of long-term medication. A fourth evacuated person is suffering from severe burns.

Overall, several patients have burns and some patients had inhaled fumes from fuel on the boats. Many patients are in physical discomfort as a result. Some people show signs of severe exhaustion and even trauma. Other patients were treated for hypothermia. After the evacuation of a pregnant woman, two pregnant women are now still on board. One woman is eight months pregnant and one woman is four months pregnant. Their condition is currently stable.

“With such a high number of vulnerable people on board, there is also a high demand for medical care, which our medical team cannot cover on its own in the long term. Thanks to our cooperation with the Bonn-based aid organization German Doctors, we are very well positioned for first aid and emergency situations – but not all further treatments and necessary examinations can be carried out in our onboard hospital. Currently, for example, we are treating many people with wounds and burns caused by contact with a salt-water fuel mixture in the boats, so that our dressing material is running low. To avoid further medical evacuations, all people on board need a port of safety and medical assistance as soon as possible,” said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye e. V.

The crew of the SEA-EYE 4 rescued 416 people from distress at sea with three missions in two days. Last Monday afternoon, June 13, the rescue ship came to the aid of 63 people, including 30 minors and a baby, when they were in distress in an rubber boat while fleeing across the Mediterranean Sea. Today, Wednesday morning, June 15, the crew arrived at a large, heavily overcrowded wooden boat. Many of the occupants were huddled below deck. The crew evacuated the wooden boat and safely brought all 290 people, including 19 minors, aboard the SEA-EYE 4. On Wednesday afternoon, the crew found another rubber boat and rescued 63 people, including 13 minors.

During the rescue on Wednesday morning, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard was present and observed the rescue operation. When it was completed, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard approached and towed away the wooden boat.

Also on Wednesday morning, the Spanish rescue ship AITA MARI arrived not far from the position of SEA-EYE 4 to a maritime emergency with over 100 people fleeing in an overcrowded rubber boat. However, the operation was disrupted by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. 17 people who had jumped into the water were rescued by the crew of the AITA MARI. The people who remained on the rubber boat were forced onto their vessel by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard and abducted to Libya.

“On the Mediterranean Sea, in the shadow of the media coverage around the Ukraine war, no less dramatic scenes are taking place. People who jump into the water out of fear of a so-called Coast Guard and risk their lives on the run – politics must finally put an end to this! It is deeply irritating that we as the EU obviously continue to accept the possible death of children, women and men who flee across the Mediterranean from poverty and violence in their countries of origin,” said Harald Kischlat, Board German Doctors e. V.