Simon Lewis, an Australian volunteer lifesaver from Melbourne is traveling to Greece, to participate in the efforts to rescue refugees, attempting to reach the Greek island of Lesvos. Over the last year, thousands of migrants and refugees have lost their lives while trying to reach Europe in the choppy waters of the Aegean Sea.
The 32-year-old lifesaver was chosen by the International Surf Life Saving Association to go on an eight-day trip to the Greek island and join the 24-hour crisis center on Lesvos.
According to ABC’s Radio Australia, Lewis “felt compelled” to join the efforts, after seeing the image of a three-year-old boy who drowned near the Turkish coast. “They don’t really put themselves in a boat to go across the sea for no good reason. They’re fleeing, they’re panicking and they’re fearful,” he said.
“Some of them can’t swim, and some of them have never seen the water before, and they’re making that journey for freedom for a better life at all costs. Sometimes they all might not arrive safely and fall in the water, or the boat might crash or run aground, so it’s our job to go and rescue them or assist them in getting into shore for processing and analysis,” he added.
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