On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, a rescue charity organization reported that an 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was rescued after drifting at sea for three days and became the only survivor of a maritime disaster near the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The German rescue organization Compass Collective stated that their ship was initially heading to another emergency rescue site when they heard cries for help coming from the water. Eventually, around 3 am local time, they rescued the girl. At that time, she was wearing a life jacket and clinging onto two tires floating in the sea.
The girl told the crew that she had departed from Sfax, Tunisia, on a metal boat carrying 45 people, which then sank during a storm.
In a statement, Compass Collective added that after receiving medical assistance, the girl was transferred to an immigrant reception center, where she is being cared for by staff and volunteers of the Italian Red Cross.
According to data from the International Organization for Migration, the route from Tunisia and Libya to Italy and Malta is one of the most dangerous maritime migration routes globally. Since 2014, over 24,300 people have been reported missing or dead along this route.