Teen Boy Saves Baby In A Shipwreck That Killed 30 People Off Libya's Coast

KEY POINTS

The teenager, from Togo, held the baby above water as he swam for help
Among the rescued was a pregnant woman who died before they reached the shore
About 8,500 migrants went missing crossing the Mediterranean between 2017 and 2021

A 17-year-old boy saved the life of a baby when a rubber boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, killing at least 30 people.

The teenager, from Togo, was lauded for his bravery after video footage of him supporting the baby he rescued from the shipwreck surfaced online.

The teenager was heard screaming, "There's a baby! There's a baby," according to Michael Bunel, a French photojournalist, who was on the rescue ship, The Guardian reported. The ship sank in the central Mediterranean Sea route, according to Doctors Without Borders (Known as Médecins Sans Frontières).

In the footage, the teen, whose identity has not been revealed, swam to save the baby and held the child over the water surface as a rescue crew arrived.

The crew threw a flotation device to the teenager and another survivor to pull them in. According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the crew provided emergency care to the four-month-old infant, who was not breathing at first. The baby and her mother were transported to Malta after providing receiving care.

“I am a good swimmer and I went to help people,” the teenager told the MSF.

🔴#GeoBarents team witnesses #tragedy in Central Med🔴
Dozens of people struggled to survive in the water. Currently several people are still very weak and looked after by the medical team. All of them are severely traumatized and shocked. pic.twitter.com/crnE0dYO3x
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) June 28, 2022

A rescue ship, Geo Barents, operated by MSF arrived on the scene and rescued dozens of other migrants, including some women, Associated Press reported.

A pregnant woman died on board the rescue ship. The survivors on the Geo Barents had to wait nearly five days before being able to disembark in Taranto, Italy, on Saturday. The ship carried the pregnant woman's body till it reached Taranto.

“The survivors are exhausted; many have ingested large amounts of seawater and multiple people suffered from hypothermia after spending many hours in the water,” Stephanie Hofstetter, medical team leader on board said. “At least 15% of the survivors suffered from medium to severe burns and need further follow-up.”

The fatalities were the latest in a string of incidents involving migrants using Libya as a stopover on their perilous route to Europe.

The Geo Barents rescued 71 individuals from the accident, some of them suffered from fuel burns.