An 18-month-old baby boy is alive today thanks to the efforts of several fearless Turkish fishermen who rescued over 15 Syrian refugees after their boat capsized off the coast of Kusadasi, Turkey. Photo: SuppliedThe fisherman frantically tried to revive Muhammad and warm him up.
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Others on the boat said they pulled about 15 other people from the water after seeing the group floating in the sea and calling out for help.
The men shouted in Turkish as they spotted people in the waves, with one saying, “Faster, faster, people fell into the water, hurry”.
Crawley said people smugglers in Turkey had started lowering prices for the boat journey to Greece, a gateway to the European Union, as the journey becomes more risky. It is believed their boat capsized. “My God he is alive”.
At the time, several refugees from Syria and Iraq on the island of Kos told AFP they had been attacked by masked gunmen at sea, with a few claiming the assailants stole their fuel and even their motors. One was saying that his brother was still there and somebody was saying that there was a kid still in the water.
The fisherman had initially alerted his crew to something he saw floating in the distance on the sea, but it wasn’t until their own boat approached that the extreme danger of the other boat’s situation became apparent. I am so glad we chose to go. He’s seen in the video holding the boy.
“The reason we made a decision to travel was for the sake of my children, who are sick, and we don’t have money for hospitals”, she explained, adding that she will never think of leaving the country again.
Almost two hours later, after the call to morning prayer from a nearby mosque has come and gone, all three vessels finally disappear from sight.
Gumren went to visit the boy and found him wonderfully ordinary.
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“Food is in short supply, as is access to water, toilets or suitable shelter”, the IRC said.
