One of the best and most underappreciated causes in the world, the Open Arms Proactiva Meditteranean Sea Rescue operation has helped save thousands of migrant lives.
The Open Arms foundation works to save the lives of various refugees and asylum seekers that are attempting to make the dangerous voyage to Europe. Open Arms recently got special help for a rescue mission that took place in the Meditteranean Sea in the form of Memphis Grizzlies star center Marc Gasol.
Gasol aided in saving the life of a woman who had been clinging to a piece of driftwood for 48 hours. The boat that she was on had sunk just miles off the coast of Libya where she was rendered to a dangerous life-death situation.
Frustration, anger, and helplessness. It’s unbelievable how so many vulnerable people are abandoned to their deaths at sea.
Deep admiration for these I call my teammates at this time @openarms_fund pic.twitter.com/TR0KnRsrTE— Marc Gasol (@MarcGasol) July 17, 2018
Marc Gasol discussed his life-saving mission with The Guardian.
“There were pieces of wood and clothes floating in the water,” Gasol told the Guardian. “Then there was that woman, with her elbows resting on a wooden beam. Her eyes were lost in the void. She was weak and in shock. She had been clinging to that piece of wood with her last bit of strength and had remained that way for 48 hours. I thought of this woman, of her strength. And I felt anger.”
“I cannot understand how anyone can turn away from these people who are dying at sea,” he said. “How can we pretend it isn’t happening?Before being an athlete, I’m a person, a human being, like the ones Open Arms are saving every day. We must work so that these tragedies never happen again. We are all responsible.”
With so many various issues going on across the world that many turn a blind eye too, Gasol hit the nail on the head. It would be ignorant to act as if these type of tragedies aren’t affecting millions across the globe and as humans, it’s in all our best interests to do everything we possibly can.
