War Zone - Front Lines

The drama that began last week put a block in my writing flow. Attending a meeting of the "minds" behind many NGOs tuned me into the politics that are behind the actions of the volunteer movement in Lesvos. A misinterpreted statement combined with a reckless, unprofessional attitude resulted in a mishmash of slanders and threats directed at me. A story for a later time, perhaps...For now, I am happy to be a part of Refugee Rescue - a team full of good-hearted, professional individuals here for the right reasons. 

Since I last wrote, stormy weather moved in. It was an opportune moment for us to take the boat out of the water in order to service the engines and install our radar. A process that would take a few days. During these days, Ritchie traveled back home and our crew began scouting an area on the South part of the island to relocate.

The Refugee Rescue team ended up moving to a village, Panagiouda, just North of the capital Mytilene. Mochara, our boat, will be in the harbor here with Echo (ProActiva) and Charly (Dutch Boat Rescue Foundation). We will also be coordinating with Promead (Spanish) and ERCI (Greek) rescue teams to help reduce casualties on the water. 

We left port as the sun was rising. The ride past the ancient castle was smooth, as the weather has calmed. Connecting with other active groups and observing, we received the current situation on the water. Many NATO warships were visible, as well as Coast Guard and Frontex. It seemed impossible that any refugee boats would be able to make it past their state of the art technology.

Max, our newest crew member, recommended we practice a training exercise where the crew members drive the boat. So, I took the wheel and began carving through the water, rescuing inflatable black rings that the refugee boats littered. Within a few minutes, we caught site of a small dinghy approaching us. I put the boat in full throttle and took off.

Like ninjas, Charly and I switched our position. He took the helm and approached the boat with caution. There appeared to be 25 or so people, many children, that were in high spirits. I communicated the best I could from a distance and we successfully guided them to a soft sandy beach to land. A crew that we communicated with was waiting for the boat as it arrived. Our first successful shepherding experience in the South.

Two army RIBs full of Greek soldiers and weapons whizzed by us. Our attention followed them, as we continued to scan the waters. Off the coast of the southern tip of Lesvos, we spotted a refugee dinghy approximately 0.8 nautical miles off shore. 

Full speed ahead brought us to the boat in a few minutes. It soon became clear that the refugee's engine had died due to lack of petrol. There were 48 people on board, paying between 1,000-1,500 Euro per head, and the smuggler did not give them enough fuel to cross! Unreal.

We assured them that they were safe. They begged us to bring them to Greece and not back to Turkey. Our first instinct was to tow them - we would need permission from the CG to proceed. As David called in, a small CG boat approached us. It was obvious that they would be taking over. 

Our crew decided to make friends with George 1 & George 2, the two Greek Coast guards. Charlie tried cracking a couple of cheeky Skipper jokes and we offered to bring them coffee the next time around. Smiles crept on George 1's face, while George 2 kept his serious face on.

CG 060, the king ship of the Coast Guard approached us after around 30 minutes of waiting and reassuring the refugees. On board the ship were roughly 500+ refugees packed together. Some were sleeping while others looked exhausted. The two Georges took the lead and brought the refugee dinghy into position to unload.

The men wearing gloves and face masks guided a couple of strong men off first to help unload the rest up the boat ladder. We watched as the these men did their best to muscle up children and women. The staff receiving the refugees seemed angry and impatient. An older woman made her way up the ladder crying in pain. This seemed to set off one of the CG staff, as he began screaming at the top of his lungs at this old woman hunched over. My heart wailed.

Then it began to get worse. As refugees boarded the ship, the CG staff handled them roughly, pushing them on to the ground and then kicking them into place. It was painful to watch. An absolute disgrace on humanity. 

Mochara stayed until all the refugees were boarded, making our presence known - and hoping they would treat them with respect. The CG called us on the radio and asked us to tow the boat in to shore. We were pleased to help, as it has become a habit of the CG to slash and sink the refugee boats at sea - creating floating hazards as well as polluting their own sea. 

What to do now? Wake up tomorrow before the sun rises and get on the water. The camps on our little island are filling up fast. There are rumors about creating bigger camps here that can hold up to 20,000 refugees long term. 

Anais helped today in the main refugee camp, Moria. She connected with "Better days for Moria" and cooked, made tea, and served food all day. According to her, the vibes of Moria have become very intense. Today, a few fights broke out amongst the refugees, which has never happened before. Pressure is increasing by the day.