Girl, 11, rescued in Med after three days clinging to tyre tubes
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Rescuers, with a water bottle and blankets, worked to warm up the 11-year-old girl who had clung to tire tubes for three days after her boat sank in stormy Mediterranean waters.
An 11-year-old girl was rescued after spending three days clinging to tire inner tubes in stormy Mediterranean waters. The young girl, from Sierra Leone, was found by rescuers from the non-governmental organization Compass Collective after her calls for help were heard while they were en route to another emergency.
The girl had been part of a group of 45 people who had set off from Sfax, Tunisia, in a bid to reach Europe. Tragically, their boat sank, and all the other migrants are presumed dead. The girl’s miraculous survival in such harsh conditions has drawn attention to the ongoing dangers migrants face while attempting the perilous Mediterranean journey, one that claims thousands of lives each year.
According to Katja Tempel, a spokeswoman for Compass Collective, the rescuers were aboard the Trotamar III vessel when they first heard the girl’s cries early on Wednesday morning, around 03:20 local time (02:20 GMT). They found the young girl alone in the water, wearing only a simple life jacket and two tire inner tubes secured around her waist. The girl told them that her boat, a metal vessel, sank almost immediately after strong storms hit, creating 3.5-meter-high (11.5-foot) waves. She and two others were initially together in the water, but the others were soon lost, and she was left alone.
After her rescue, the girl was handed over to Italian authorities on the island of Lampedusa. Despite the trauma and exposure to the harsh sea conditions, she was able to walk and speak. The remarkable survival of the girl highlights both the resilience of individuals and the brutal risks faced by migrants making such dangerous journeys in an attempt to reach Europe.
The girl’s story is part of a broader crisis, as thousands of migrants have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Since the International Organization for Migration (IOM) began tracking these figures, they have recorded 30,955 deaths or disappearances over the past decade. The Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, with migrants often fleeing conflict, poverty, or persecution in search of a better life in Europe.
Italy has been one of the main entry points for migrants attempting to reach European shores. This year alone, Italy has received over 63,000 migrants, according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Despite this, the numbers of people attempting the journey have decreased somewhat. This decline is partly attributed to the hard-line immigration policies implemented by Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. These policies have made it more difficult for migrants to reach Europe, and the number of rescue operations has decreased as well.
The girl’s rescue serves as a stark reminder of the harsh conditions faced by migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the deadly risks involved. The lack of resources, perilous weather, and the overcrowding of boats continue to contribute to the high number of deaths in the region. Despite international calls for greater humanitarian efforts and safer migration routes, many migrants continue to take these dangerous journeys, driven by the hope of a better life in Europe.
The plight of the 11-year-old girl underscores the urgent need for improved policies to protect vulnerable migrants, provide better search and rescue operations, and ensure that those making the journey are treated with dignity and compassion. While her rescue is a rare success story, it also highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis that migrants face when fleeing hardship and seeking safety in Europe.
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