Lost at sea: Young girl's survival amid Mediterranean tragedy
Over 40 people have been reported missing after a boat that set sail from the Tunisian city of Sfax headed across the Mediterranean Sea towards Lampedusa. The sole survivor of the disaster may be an 11-year-old girl, who was found after three days adrift in the car's inner tubes.
The 11-year-old from Sierra Leone survived for three days in the Mediterranean Sea by clinging to car inner tubes. The girl was rescued off the coast of Lampedusa and was taken to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. According to RMF24, more than 40 people have been declared missing after the boat sank.
The girl told rescuers that she set out on a metal boat with other refugees from Sfax, Tunisia. The boat encountered a storm and high waves during the journey, and the 11-year-old ended up in the water. Initially, two other people were with her, but as she explained, "the sea took them away."
Rescue operation off the coast of Lampedusa. 11-year-old girl drifted in the water for three days
According to representatives of the German charity Compass Collective, who was involved in the rescue operation, the girl is likely the only survivor. Matthias Wiedenlübbert, captain of the rescue boat Trotamar III, described the child's rescue as a remarkable stroke of luck.
The captain described it as a remarkable coincidence that they could hear the child's voice even with the engine running. The crew added that the search is ongoing, as there is a possibility others may have survived in the water.
RMF24 reports that the girl mentioned her brother was travelling with her on the boat. His fate remains unknown.
The route between Tunisia and Italy is one of the most dangerous in the world. The International Organisation for Migration reports that since 2014, over 24,300 people have died or gone missing there.
Source: RMF FM
