The Libyan divers facing daily horror to retrieve Derna’s dead | Floods

Of all of the issues he’s discovered within the blue Mediterranean waters of Derna, the numerous our bodies of youngsters with vacant eye sockets and protruding bones hang-out Bashir Saqr El-Hassi probably the most.

The 42-year-old Libyan coastguard diver is solemn as he describes the expertise of pulling out our bodies which might be nonetheless within the sea within the aftermath of the devastating dam rupture close to Derna in early September.

“I can’t assist however consider my very own kids once I’m retrieving kids who drowned. I’ve been away from my household for days,” El-Hassi mentioned, his eyes gazing away.

Overhearing him, considered one of his teammates steps in, recalling a sight that also haunts him.

“One of many our bodies was caught below the rubble of a constructing and the fish have been consuming it. It was a tragic sight that I can’t describe,” he mentioned.

The pair are native divers, El-Hassi from the close by metropolis of Sousa, a part of a squadron left to search out lacking our bodies after worldwide aid groups have largely left Libya, together with navy divers from Egypt, Turkey, Malta and different nations.

The eerily quiet divers pile onto boats to leap into the ocean every time the climate and waves allow, attempting to salvage the our bodies nonetheless within the waters.

The storm burst two dams above Derna, inflicting floods that washed via town, wiping out the panorama, sweeping away buildings and obliterating complete neighbourhoods. The loss of life toll is estimated at thousands, with 1000’s extra reported lacking.

“It’s a metropolis down there. Extra so within the earlier days, because it was populated with our bodies. However there’s nonetheless a metropolis down there,” mentioned one of many divers.

Race in opposition to time

El-Hassi has been in Derna for the reason that first days of the disaster.

“The mission was simpler initially as a result of the our bodies have been intact. Now they’re very decomposed,” he mentioned, including it’s a race in opposition to time to retrieve as many our bodies as doable earlier than they absolutely disintegrate.

The skilled diver has been on search missions earlier than, however nothing ready him for what he noticed after the flood.

“Of all my expertise in diving missions retrieving the our bodies of asylum seekers who drowned at sea, this by far has been probably the most troublesome,” he mentioned.

The divers help one another earlier than their each day missions. What they’ve seen is a part of their collective reminiscence, their hardest experiences collectively, encountering loss of life every day, away from their households.

Earlier than every dive, El-Hassi makes certain to speak to his spouse and kids, whom he doesn’t see for days at a time.

“I really feel concern and anxiousness. This expertise has affected me deeply. I maintain occupied with my household and what in the event that they have been those to have met this horrible destiny,” he mentioned, wanting numb.

Pushed by a way of humanity

It’s one other day and El-Hassi and his staff are getting ready to search for extra victims of the floods.

He makes certain his oxygen tank is full to permit him the longest time underwater. Some divers will make the leap with out oxygen tanks for extra velocity and mobility, he mentioned.

He and the staff captain then go over diving places the place they may seek for extra our bodies.

They’ve marked seven submerged automobiles to examine throughout this dive. They have been washed into the ocean and haven’t but been looked for drowned passengers.

Earlier than they comprehend it, the grim day has handed and one other search is full. El-Hassi and the divers make their approach again to Derna’s Mina Port after the gruelling mission.

Although that is, undoubtedly, his most troublesome mission, it’s one which El-Hassi believes in wholeheartedly, pushed by his sense of humanity.

The entire staff feels the load of the duty entrusted to them: to assist the households lastly get closure and lay their family members to relaxation.

“The vehicles we inspected at present have been empty,” El-Hassi mentioned. “Tomorrow, if the waves and climate permit, we’ll examine one other spot.”

This story has been revealed in collaboration with Egab.