Young Migrant Rescued After Three Days Adrift in Mediterranean Sea

The resilient girl from Sierra Leone was found by rescuers wearing a life jacket and struggling in rough seas. She was among 45 migrants who embarked on the treacherous journey, with many presumed lost.

In a heart-wrenching incident in the Mediterranean, an 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone has been rescued after spending three days clinging to tire tubes in dangerous waters. The girl was found by the NGO Compass Collective while they were responding to another emergency after hearing her desperate calls for help.

She had embarked on the perilous journey from Sfax, Tunisia, accompanied by 44 other migrants. Tragically, their boat sank amidst the stormy weather, resulting in the presumed loss of all others on board. Rescuers reported that the girl was wearing a basic life jacket and had tied two inner tubes around her waist when she was located early Wednesday morning.

According to the officials onboard the Trotamar III vessel, the young survivor recounted that the metal boat had succumbed to the relentless 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) waves, sinking within seconds. She explained that she had briefly been in the water with two other individuals before losing contact with them.

The girl was safely handed over to authorities on Lampedusa, Italy, demonstrating resilience as she was able to walk and talk. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that over 30,955 migrants have died or are missing in the Mediterranean over the past decade, highlighting the ongoing migrant crisis in which Italy continues to bear a significant burden, having received over 63,000 migrants in 2023. The sheer number of fatalities has sparked discussions around the strict migration policies implemented by the right-wing Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which have contributed to a recent decrease in migrant crossings.