An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone has been rescued after surviving three harrowing days in stormy Mediterranean waters by clinging to inner tubes. Her dramatic survival comes after the boat she was travelling on sank, leaving all other passengers presumed dead.
Rescuers from the non-governmental organization Compass Collective discovered the girl early Wednesday morning while responding to another emergency. According to Katja Tempel, a spokeswoman for the group, the girl was found at around 03:20 local time (02:20 GMT) wearing a life jacket and two tyre inner tubes. She was taken aboard the Trotamar III rescue vessel.
The girl told rescuers that she had set out from Sfax, Tunisia, with 44 others in a metal boat. A powerful storm with waves as high as 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) struck, causing the vessel to sink within seconds. Initially, she managed to stay in contact with two other survivors in the water, but they were eventually separated.
After being rescued, the young survivor was handed over to Italian authorities on the island of Lampedusa. Despite her ordeal, she was able to walk and speak upon arrival.
This incident highlights the perilous journey many migrants face in the Mediterranean. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 30,000 people have died or gone missing in the region over the past decade.
Italy, which has received over 63,000 migrants this year alone, has seen a decrease in arrivals attributed to the strict immigration policies of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. Nevertheless, the Mediterranean remains one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world, with thousands risking their lives each year in search of safety and opportunity in Europe.
The tragic sinking of the boat from Sfax is a stark reminder of the human cost of these journeys. The survival of the 11-year-old girl is a rare story of hope amid a sea of heartbreaking losses.
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