11-Year-Old Migrant Rescued After Three Days at Sea in Mediterranean

On a perilous journey to reach Europe, an unnamed 11-year-old girl clung to inner tubes for three days after her boat from Tunisia sank. Rescued by the NGO Compass Collective, her survival story shines a light on the dangers faced by migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone has been miraculously rescued after spending three harrowing days clinging to inner tubes in the stormy waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The young girl had set out on a dangerous journey with 44 other migrants from Sfax, Tunisia, only to see her metal boat sink in a matter of seconds due to strong storms that generated 3.5-meter high waves.

On Wednesday at approximately 03:20 local time (02:20 GMT), rescuers from the non-governmental organization Compass Collective were on a different mission when they heard her desperate cries for help. As they approached, they discovered the girl, who had fashioned two inner tubes around her waist while wearing a simple life jacket. Unfortunately, she lost contact with two companions who had attempted to stay with her after the boat capsized.

After her rescue, she was transported to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where authorities reported that she was able to walk and talk, showing resilience despite her traumatic experience. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has noted that over 30,000 migrants have perished or gone missing while trying to traverse the Mediterranean in the past decade, with Italy receiving more than 63,000 migrants this year alone, according to data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Although these numbers reflect a slight decrease in crossings, they come amid stricter immigration policies from Italy's right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This incident underlines the ongoing plight of migrants and the dire circumstances they often face in search of safety and a better life in Europe.