A Vancouver nurse is back home after spending four months on a search and rescue mission on the Mediterranean Sea with aid group Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

The organization operates a search and rescue vessel which sails out to international waters off the coast of Libya and provides medical assistance and support to people using the dangerous migratory sea route to reach Europe.

In 2016, over 5,000 people died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in what the United Nations refugee agency dubbed the deadliest year ever.

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 23 of this year, the International Organization for Migration reported 230 people have already died making the same journey.

Vancouver nurse Courtney Bercan described her first day on the vessel.

"The first time you're in the middle of the Mediterranean and you see a boat filled with a 150 to 500 people who have no life jackets with no land in sight — no pictures, no video that you see of that, nothing can prepare you for how that feels," she said.

A Médecins sans Frontières staff member carries a child to safety. (Courtney Bercan/Médecins sans Frontières)

Even though it was not her first assignment with Médecins sans Frontières, Bercan said this particular assignment hit close to home.

"When you see people from so many countries, it really changed my perspective. It's people from all over Africa, from the Middle East, as far as Bangladesh. You see the scope of these issues, the scope of this disparity in wealth," she said.

"It was extremely hard emotionally to be on that boat. There were very sad stories."

Vancouver nurse Courtney Bercan (right) worked on a search and rescue vessel in her second assignment with Médecins sans Frontières. (Sara Creta/Médecins sans Frontières)

Bercan told the story of one woman who she called Joy. Women don't often make the journey, Bercan explained, because they cannot always bring their children with them.

Joy was desparate. She and her husband Pierre had fled their home country as refugees and ended up settling in Libya. They did not have any intention of going to Europe, Bercan said, but things changed.

"Joy was accosted one night by several men. Pierre was forced to hold her down as they raped her. They hadn't planned on going to Italy but after this Joy couldn't stand Libya," Bercan said.

After much deliberation, Bercan said Joy and Pierre made the difficult decision to cross the Mediterranean.

During the journey, however, Joy ended up drowning with their two young children. Only the body of their young son was ever recovered.

"Probably one of the worst moments of my life was sitting down with Pierre as he identified his 8-month-old son," Bercan recalled, her voice breaking.

"He sobbed. He sobbed over his body. He begged his son's forgiveness for trying to make the trip and believing that it could be safe and for trying to make his son's life better."

Despite these harrowing stories, Bercan said there were also moments of brightness on the vessel.

Staff were able to rescue and care for a pair of five-day-old premature twins. She said the twins and their family are doing well now.

A pair of 5-day-old premature twins — weighing 1.6 kg each — were the youngest passengers rescued by crew. (Courtney Bercan/Médecins sans Frontières)

"There are tons of bright, bubbly, lovely, giggly kids that just have no idea of what their families have been through. They want to be the famous soccer players of Europe," she said. "I really hope they are. I hope they're given a chance."

With files from The Early Edition

To listen to the audio, click on the link labelled Vancouver nurse describes working aboard search and rescue vessel on Mediterranean Sea