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The dramatic rescue of Yasmine: alone in the waves for 3 days at 11 years old

The story of Yasmine, a survivor of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean: her desperate cry allowed the miracle of rescue.

The dramatic rescue of Yasmine: alone in the waves for 3 days at 11 years old.

The Mediterranean has written another tragic page of pain and hope with the story of Yasmine, an 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone, saved after being at the mercy of the waves for three days. A miracle that brings to light the drama of migrants and lives shattered at sea.

The dramatic crossing and the shipwreck

Yasmine had left Sfax, Tunisia, on December 8, along with 45 other migrants, aboard a small vessel headed for the Italian coast. The boat could not withstand the fury of the stormy sea and capsized, leaving the passengers adrift in the freezing Strait of Sicily. With five-meter-high waves and winds of over 23 knots, the tragedy unfolded quickly: most of the migrants were swept away by the currents, including Yasmine's brother.

Fight for survival

Left alone, Yasmine clung to two air chambers that allowed her to float, resisting desperation and exhaustion. For three long days, she faced cold, hunger and fear. When she finally glimpsed a boat on the horizon, she found the strength to scream for help. Her screams were heard by the crew of the Trotamar III, the sailing vessel of the German NGO Compasscollective, which was patrolling the area in search of shipwrecked people. At 3:20 on Tuesday, in a starless night, the crew managed to locate her and rescue her with a dinghy.

“It was a miracle that I heard her voice with the engine running and the seas rough,” said skipper Matthias Wiedenlübbert. Once on board, the little girl was wrapped in a thermal blanket and warmed with hot water bottles. Despite being hypothermic and in shock, Yasmine was alert and responsive.

The arrival in Lampedusa

At dawn, the Trotamar III landed in Lampedusa, where Yasmine was welcomed by rescuers and taken to the island's polyclinic. In broken French, the little girl told doctors and workers about her journey: the departure, the shipwreck and the three days spent at sea. "She was calm, but visibly exhausted," said Francesca Saccomandi, a volunteer for Mediterranean Hope, who gave Yasmine a backpack containing a coloring book and crayons.

Her health conditions were declared good by Dr. Francesco D'Arca, but the psychological trauma will require care and support. After a few hours of rest, Yasmine was transferred to the island's hotspot, where she fell into a deep sleep, exhausted but finally safe.

The investigations and doubts about the story

Yasmine's rescue is accompanied by questions that investigators are trying to clarify. Is it really possible that an 11-year-old girl survived for three days in freezing water during a storm? According to experts, hypothermia could have killed in less than 12 hours. "In those conditions you lose track of time," investigators explain, hypothesizing that the girl's story may have been altered by shock.

The Agrigento Prosecutor's Office, led by prosecutor Giovanni Di Leo, has opened an investigation for shipwreck, multiple manslaughter and aiding illegal immigration. In the meantime, the Guardia di Finanza continues to search the stretch of sea where the shipwreck occurred, but no bodies, life jackets or remains of the vessel have been found.

Yasmine's story is emblematic of the drama of migrants crossing the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Every year, thousands of men, women and children face dangerous journeys, often driven by desperation. For many of them, the dream of a new life is shattered by the waves. For Yasmine, however, the rescue represents a second birth, an opportunity to start over despite the losses and trauma suffered.

Il drammatico salvataggio di Yasmine: sola tra le onde per 3 giorni a 11 anni

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