The moderator and paramedic Tobias Schlegl helped out on a sea rescue ship. Now the “Sea-Eye 4” is back from operation, and around 400 people have been rescued with it.
Hamburg / Sicily (dpa) – After two and a half weeks on board the rescue ship “Sea-Eye 4” on the Mediterranean, TV presenter Tobias Schlegl (43) commented on his impressive experiences.
“What particularly shocked me is that we had 150 children on board here,” said Schlegl in the new episode of his lifesaver podcast “2Retter 1Mikro”, which was published on Thursday. “How awesome is that? These are children who were only saved by us, who would probably no longer be alive. “
Schlegl set out on May 8 with 22 other crew members as emergency paramedics on board the rescue ship for the Mediterranean. In the course of the following two weeks, more than 400 refugees were reportedly rescued from the distress and taken in, including an eight-month-old baby.
Schlegl (“Aspects”, “Extra3”) had given up his moderation job almost five years ago and trained as an emergency paramedic for three years. Since then he has worked in shifts in Hamburg for the Red Cross. Almost four weeks ago he said goodbye for an indefinite period of time with a post on Instagram and exchanged the ambulance for the ship.
“I’m so glad we didn’t have a resuscitation. I would have done it, I would have worked there too. But I didn’t want any resuscitation at all, especially no child resuscitation, ”Schlegl continued. Most of the rescued were able to stabilize the team after a short time. “Some took longer. But in the end, everyone has now safely set foot on Italian soil – in Sicily. We were then assigned a safe haven. “
At the end of the mission, the feeling of joy over the saved was also mixed with a negative one. “I could be happy. But suddenly I had this feeling: “Couldn’t we have saved more?” So, we were completely overcrowded, but couldn’t there still fit 100 on the ship? “
He also knows that the arduous journey people have to travel safely to Italy is far from over. “What is still ahead of them is sometimes much more intense than what they have experienced so far. We helped them, yes. We acted in an acute emergency, so to speak, but they really still have a lot to do. “
For the new podcast episode, Schlegl recorded a conversation with “Sea-Eye 4” spokeswoman and sea rescuer Sophie, about a week ago, immediately after the end of the mission. Since then, he and the crew have been in a two-week corona quarantine ordered by the authorities. In the podcast, the two also criticize European refugee policy.
The humanitarian operation of the “Sea-Eye 4” is supported by United4Rescue, the alliance for civil sea rescue, and the aid organization German Doctors.
Civilian sea rescue in the Mediterranean is politically controversial. Italy often holds the private ships in port after entering and raises security concerns. Most of the boat migrants leave Libya and Tunisia for Italy. According to the UN, more than 770 people died trying to cross the central Mediterranean in 2021.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210603-99-849271 / 2
Post on Instagram about the new podcast episode
Tobi Schlegl’s Twitter account
Twitter-Account der Sea-Eye
United4Rescue Twitter account
Message from Sea-Eye on Twitter
UN figures on dead and missing boat migrants; English
Tweet from Sea-Watch to approve their ship
