For Chris from the German city of Wuppertal, it goes without saying that you have to rescue as many refugees as possible from drowning in the Mediterranean as they attempt to reach Europe. He is one of the key persons on the German NGO vessel ‘Sea-Watch 2’.
The ship and its crew of volunteers try to carry out a rescue mission that every country in the region appears to shun. We spent two weeks on the ship, and during the last four days of our stint, all Hell broke loose, pushing the crew members to the limit.
One Saturday morning, I am sitting on Monkey Island, the highest point on the ship, scanning the horizon with heavy binoculars. There is lots of stuff up here – orange life jackets, poles with satellite antennas and other navigation equipment.
And, of course, the wooden bench that I am sitting on.
