The 25 Red Cross volunteers who received the survivors of the immigration tragedy that took place last week are to be offered counselling and psychological help to overcome what was a highly traumatic experience for many of them. The help will be given in the form of workshops which will help them recover from the enormous emotional impact of being the front line of aid to those rescued.
The first to come off the boat was a baby, the only child of the ten who set out to survive the crossing, followed by her mother who collapsed into the arms of the waiting helpers. Both mother and child needed urgent medical attention for exposure and dehydration as did many of the other would be immigrants. One of the women came off the boat in a state of shock, begging the Red Cross to search for her children, both of whom had died on the crossing and been put overboard into the open sea.
Many of the survivors could not walk and some had to be carried in the arms of the volunteers as there were not enough stretchers for all of them. The Port dining hall had to be used as a makeshift medical centre until those that needed hospital treatment could be taken by ambulance.
The Red Cross ERIE (Immediate Emergency Response Team), which was formed to provide aid for immigrants arriving in boats, has been called to 300 incidents since its formation; it has attended to 2,420 immigrants, 465 of whom were under 18 and 12 pregnant women.
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