THE MISSING: Lebanon | A Family Pinning Hopes on Boat to Europe | NBC Left Field

Like any parents, Mohamed Safwan and his wife, Melani, worked hard to provide their children with everything they needed. But when their youngest son, Malek, was diagnosed with diabetes and autism at a young age, they were unable to give him what he needed in their home country. Once he got older, they couldn’t find an affordable school that would accept him.

They thought about leaving Lebanon for Germany, where Melani had relatives. They spent years applying for visas, but they were denied on three different occasions.

In 2015, they heard about Syrians and other migrants making the trip by boat from Turkey to the Greek islands, from where they could reach Germany and other countries in northern Europe. The family decided this was their chance. They agreed that all three sons, Wael, Maher, and Malek, would accompany their mother on the trip, while Mohamed would stay home and keep working in his television repair shop. He would support them with his modest earnings while they got settled in.

But tragedy struck when their boat sank while crossing the Aegean Sea. Melani’s body was recovered along with the others in the boat, but Wael and Malek were never found. Maher was the only son who returned home alive after swimming and treading water for more than six hours to find help.

At the Safwan home in Beirut, we meet Mohamed and Maher, who tell the harrowing story of losing nearly their entire family in one moment, while the fate of the two brothers remains unknown.

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Directed and filmed by

Matthew Cassel

Edited by

Olivia Dehez

Produced by

Ariel Rubin

Special thanks to

Malak Jaafar

Louise Taylor

Charbel Bechara

This video was made in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross. ICRC provided funding and support for the production of this video. NBC News retained editorial control.

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ABOUT NBC LEFT FIELD:

NBC Left Field is a new internationally-minded video troupe that makes short, creative documentaries and features specially designed for social media and set-top boxes. Our small team of cinematographers, journalists, animators and social media gurus aims to unearth stories and breathe creative life into current headlines. While pushing boundaries at home and abroad, NBC Left Field will also be serving as an experimental hub for NBC News style, treatment and audience engagement.

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