"In the Midst of Storm and Struggle: A Girl's Miraculous Survival at Sea"

Surviving the Storm

In a Dec. 11 press release, CompassCollective revealed that an 11-year-old girl had survived a shipwreck off the Italian coast. She was believed to be on a metal boat that was caught in a fierce storm in the central Mediterranean Sea. The ship had set off from Sfax, Tunisia, but was destroyed off the island of Lampedusa. Waves reaching 11.5 feet high and strong winds led to its sinking. It is estimated that the remaining 45 passengers perished.

CompassCollective was already engaged in a different rescue operation on their Trotamar III vessel when they heard the girl's desperate shouts at 3:20 a.m. Skipper Matthias Wiedenlübbert described it as an incredible coincidence that they could hear her voice despite the engine running.

The Girl's Struggle

The child, originally from Sierra Leone, managed to stay afloat for three days with only two improvised life rings made from air-filled inner tubes and a simple life jacket. She was in the water with two other passengers but lost contact with them. Despite having no drinking water or food and suffering from hypothermia, she remained responsive and oriented. CompassCollective provided immediate medical attention at the scene.

Early in the morning, around 6 a.m., she was transported to a migrant holding center in Lampedusa and was cared for by the Italian Red Cross staff.

The Persisting Crisis

The young girl's rescue is a tragic example of the dangerous journeys migrants undertake to reach Europe. Katja Tempel from CompassCollective emphasized the need for safe passages for refugees and an open Europe that welcomes people. Nicola Dell’Arciprete, head of UNICEF in Italy, expressed his thoughts for the girl during this festive period.

António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that the migration route between Tunisia, Libya, Italy, and Malta is one of the most dangerous in the world. Since 2014, over 24,300 people have either disappeared or died during these journeys. He expressed his fear that these deaths have become normalized.