Both the Turkish and Italian coast guards are releasing videos of dramatic rescues of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe, providing a glimpse into the perilous conditions refugees face, and the lengths rescuers go to save them when they run into trouble.
In one video released Wednesday, the Italian Coast Guard is shown rescuing 68 refugees and migrants crammed onto a small boat that was about to be stranded at the base of a cliff near the Greek island of Samos Tuesday.
According to a Guardia Costiera description of the video, uploaded to YouTube, about half the migrants had already scrambled off the boat and begun climbing up a cliff overlooking the sea to find shelter. The rest, including several women and children, were still on board the boat which was about to be stranded on the rocks.
The coast guard said the operation was “extremely complex” due to poor visibility, the presence of rocky outcrops and the difficulties of reaching the castaways. All were eventually rescued.
Another video from the Turkish Coast Guard shows Monday’s rescue of a migrant man from a sinking boat off the coast of Edremit, in Turkey’s Balikesir province.
The video shows a migrant man in a lifejacket clinging to the bow of a submerged boat. A Coast Guard worker is lowered down to the man, places a strap around him and winches him up to safety in the helicopter.
