Lampedusa, a migrant girl arrives alone on a boat: she was the only survivor of a shipwreck

A girl of about ten years old landed alone in Lampedusa, the only survivor of a shipwreck that occurred three days earlier. The metal boat set sail on the day of the Immaculate Conception from Sfax, Tunisia, with 45 people on board. During the crossing, a storm caused it to sink. The operators of Ong Trotamar III they rescued the little girl and took her to the commercial pier on the island. From the information collected, the little girl comes from Sierra Leone.

The little girl explained that the boat, which contained 45 people, was hit by a storm three days ago. “When it sank, we all ended up in the sea,” he said. «At first there were two boys next to me, but after two days I never saw them again: the sea took them away.”

The little girl was recovered from the sailing ship which intervened at 3.20 am for another rescue operation. The crew heard the calls in the darkness and immediately started rescue operations. Little iHe was wearing a life jacket and keeping himself afloat with an inner tube. She had no drinking water or food available, and she was hypothermic. After recovery, she arrived in Lampedusa at 6 in the morning.

According to the activists of Compass Collectiveit was the terrible sea conditions that caused the shipwreck of the vessel that left Sfax, «with waves 3.4 meters high and winds of 23 knots», caused by the storm.

Doctor Francesco D’Arca, head of the Lampedusa clinic, confirmed that the little girl is in good physical and psychological condition. “She was calm and thanked us,” he said. The little girl reported that she had traveled with her brother, who however was missing like the other 44 migrants. After initial medical assistance and a psychological interview, the little girl was transferred to the island’s hotspot.