The girl mentioned above was wearing a life jacket and clinging to a pair of car inner tubes. She said she had been floating at sea for 3 days, until she was discovered by rescuers off the coast of Lampedusa island, southern Italy. The Guardianreported on December 11.
The girl from Sierra Leone said she was on a boat carrying 45 people, departing from the city of Sfax, Tunisia a few days ago. While the ship was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, a storm came, with waves more than 2 meters high and winds of more than 23 knots.
Rescuers used warm packs and thermal paper for the girl discovered drifting in the Mediterranean Sea on December 11.
German charity rescue organization Compass Collective said it discovered the baby girl in the early morning of December 11. This organization believes that she is the only survivor, while the remaining 44 people most likely drowned.
Mr. Matthias Wiedenlubbert, captain of the rescue ship Trotamar III, said the successful rescue of the girl was an unexpected stroke of luck. After the crew heard her screams for help at night, they were even more surprised when there was help. I can hear your voice when the train engine is running. Compass Collective is still trying to find other victims, but when the incident has lasted for several days, combined with strong winds and high waves, the possibility of finding more missing people is almost hopeless.
The sea route carrying migrants connecting North African countries such as Tunisia and Libya with Italy and Malta in Southern Europe poses many risks. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that in the past 10 years, more than 24,300 people have gone missing or died on this route.
Ms. Nicola Dell’Arciprete, Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Italy, emphasized the importance of the need for safe routes, along with search and rescue activities. “Another tragedy increases the number of dead and missing in the Mediterranean Sea,” she said.
