One-year-old floats a mile out to sea in Tunisia while parents are ‘momentarily distracted’

The baby girl was rescued by Civil Protection units and, although distressed, was unharmed

A view of a closed beach in La Marsa, Tunisia, Saturday, July 17, 2021, due to reinstated COVID-19 restrictions (AP)

A baby has been rescued after strong winds blew her inflatable ring a little under a mile out to sea off a Tunisian beach.

The family were bathing in the sea outside the town of Kelibia in northeast Tunisia on Saturday when local media said they had become "momentarily distracted.”

After realising that their eighteen-month-old daughter had been blown out to sea, the parents alerted authorities who instigated a search. Civil Protection units, helped by volunteers, one on a jet ski, subsequently located the unnamed child, who appeared distressed but otherwise unharmed. Video taken by the driver of the jet ski shows a man in the water pull both the infant and inflatable ring onto the jet ski.

Many Tunisians flood to the country’s beaches over the summer to escape the searing North African heat. However, the global pandemic has led to some locations, such as the beaches outside the capital and within the tourist resort of Sousse being closed to the general public. Nevertheless, high temperatures have led to many families, especially those with children, making the most of their weekends and enjoying Tunisia’s Mediterranean waters and famous beaches.

Winds were especially strong over the weekend, which is how the infant was transported so far out before rescuers reached her.

After winning plaudits for its initial response to the pandemic, Tunisia has since succumbed to some of the worst effects of the virus. The country’s health networks have been pushed to the limit, with vaccines and oxygen both at a premium. Over recent days, countries across MENA, Europe and the United States have responded to Tunisia’s appeals for help and medical aid has begun to arrive.

However, with the virus embedded within Tunisian society and the Muslim celebration of Eid ul Adha falling this week, the future spread of the virus, or Tunisia’s ability to respond effectively, remain uncertain.