"One day, two wooden boats, one rubber dinghy, one helivac, over a thousand people rescued by three ships, and fifty-two perfectly senseless deaths."
On the latest episode of Everyday Emergency, Canadian doctor Simon Bryant discusses his time on board an MSF search and rescue ship in the Mediterranean.
The story heard in this week's episode comes from a blog Simon kept while aboard the Phoenix, a ship MSF ran in partnership with Migrant Offshore Aid Station.
This extract is taken from 'Yet again', published 31 August 2015.
Read more about Simon's time on the Mediterranean in our 'Moving Stories' blog about the European refugee crisis.
Photos of Simon during his mission on board the Phoenix
Simon assists in the transfer of three unconscious people rescued from a wooden fishing boat to the Phoenix in July 2015. Gasoline fumes cause many people to lose consciousness on the overcrowded fishing vessels used to make the journey.
A photo posted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (@doctorswithoutborders) on
One of the three boats that MSF helped to rescue on 26 August 2015. Simon and MSF nurse Mary-Jo Fawley descended into the hull of this boat to discover dozens of dead bodies.
A photo posted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (@doctorswithoutborders) on
Simon holds a consultation for a patient in the clinic on board the Phoenix after being rescued at sea. This man suffered an injury as a consequence of a beating in Libya.
Video footage captured by the Swedish coastguard, 26 August 2015
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Keep up to date with MSF's work helping refugees across Europe by following @MSF_Sea on Twitter.
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