Hundreds of EU-bound African migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea this week.
Each rescue brings with it people and stories from all over the world. Among those rescued by MOAS crew are Lucky and Mary, a young engaged couple from Nigerian.
Both were rescued in a 48-hour period in which over 10,000 people were assisted by search and rescue operations while attempting the Central Mediterranean crossing.
Although Lucky and Mary left the beaches of Libya on the same night, they were placed in separate wooden boats by the smugglers who had promised them a safe journey to Europe. Lucky’s boat was rescued by MOAS in the early hours of the morning. Immediately, he asked the MOAS crew and the Red Cross team on board to help him find his fiancee. Having realized the huge danger of their situation – he now knew that there was no way either of their unseaworthy boats could have ever reached Europe – he had to wait for several excruciating hours before Mary’s boat was finally rescued by the Res ponder.