LAMPEDUSA — The Italian coast guard rescued 58 people and recovered 19 bodies from a dinghy in distress about 80 nautical miles from the island of Lampedusa on Tuesday night. The operation took place in the Libyan search and rescue area during rough weather conditions.

"We were the only one able to intervene, as there were no other ships or rescue teams in the area. Sea conditions were pretty extreme, with waves of more than 6-7 meters (20-23 feet)," said Roberto D'Arrigo, a coast guard spokesman. D'Arrigo said the migrants had probably departed from Libya and likely died of hypothermia, though he said the cause of the deaths still needed to be verified.

The survivors were brought to Lampedusa after a 10-hour trip and are now in the care of local health services, according to the coast guard. The island of Lampedusa is the main entry point to Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa.

Thousands of migrants have died during the journey across the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the deaths have been attributed to small boats setting off from the coasts of Tunisia and Libya. In August 2025, a boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters off Lampedusa, killing at least 26 people.