Miraculous Rescue: 11-Year-Old Survives Lampedusa Shipwreck

An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was the sole survivor of a shipwreck near Italy's Lampedusa, saved by Germany's CompassCollective. The ill-fated journey began in Tunisia, and 45 people were aboard the boat. She received medical help and is now in a migrant holding center under Red Cross care.

An extraordinary rescue operation has brought hope amidst tragedy, as an 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was saved after three harrowing days at sea. The lone survivor of a devastating shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island, she was spotted by Germany's CompassCollective crew, who picked her up at 3 a.m. clinging to tyre tubes.

The girl, who embarked from Sfax, Tunisia, recounted her ordeal to the rescuers, sharing that she was aboard a metal boat with 45 others, which succumbed to a storm. Following her rescue, she received medical attention and was taken to a migrant center in Lampedusa, a frequent sanctuary for migrants arriving from North Africa.

The incident highlights the perilous Central Mediterranean route, notorious for its high fatalities, with over 24,300 known deaths since 2014. NGOs and international organizations call for urgent action, as the Italian government reports a significant drop in sea arrivals due to stringent immigration policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)