Girl, 11, sole survivor in shipwreck tragedy off Lampedusa
More than 40 people have been reported missing after a boat sank en route from the Tunisian city of Sfax to the coast of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea. The only known survivor might be an 11-year-old girl, rescued after three days adrift in car inner tubes.
12 December 2024 11:11
An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone survived three days in the Mediterranean Sea, 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 are reported missing after the boat sank.
The girl informed rescuers that she set off with other refugees from the city of Sfax in Tunisia on a metal boat. During the journey, the boat encountered a storm and high waves, leaving her 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 organisation Compass Collective involved in the rescue operation, the girl is likely the only survivor. Matthias Wiedenlübbert, the captain of the rescue boat Trotamar III, described saving the child as an incredible 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 said she was travelling with her brother on the boat. His fate is unknown.
The route between Tunisia and Italy is one of the most dangerous in the world. The International Organization for Migration reports that since 2014, over 24,300 people have died or gone missing there.
Source: RMF FM
