One dead, 51 rescued as migrant boat partially sinks south of Gavdos, search continues

A large-scale search and rescue operation is under way in waters roughly 38 nautical miles south of Gavdos after a boat carrying migrants was found in distress, the Hellenic Coast Guard said. So far 51 people have been rescued and one body has been recovered, identified as a 25-year-old Egyptian national.

According to survivors, about 77 people were aboard the vessel in total, prompting authorities to continue searching the area for anyone still missing. The boat took on water and partially sank during the rescue operation, and some of those on board ended up in the sea as crews worked to bring them aboard other vessels.

How the operation unfolded

The Coast Guard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it was alerted to the vessel in distress during the evening hours of the previous day. Two merchant ships passing nearby were immediately diverted to the scene, alongside two vessels and one aircraft from the European border agency FRONTEX. The two merchant ships were first to reach the boat and began transferring people off it; during this process the boat began taking on water and partially sank, with several passengers entering the water.

Reinforcements were then sent to the area, including an additional FRONTEX vessel, a Hellenic Air Force helicopter and a FRONTEX unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Survivors taken to Chania

Of the 51 people rescued, 28 were transferred by a FRONTEX vessel to the port of Agia Galini and then taken to a reception facility in Agyia, Chania. The remaining 23 were picked up by the merchant ship, transferred to a Coast Guard patrol boat, and disembarked safely at Paleochora before also being taken to the Agyia facility. The recovered body was transported to Chania General Hospital.

Identification and ongoing investigation

Authorities said the body was identified by another passenger from the boat as a 25-year-old Egyptian national. The Central Port Authority of Chania, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, has ordered a post-mortem examination at the Forensic Medicine Service of Crete.

As the search continues, two FRONTEX vessels, one FRONTEX aircraft, one Coast Guard aircraft and five passing ships remain involved in the operation. Northwesterly winds of force 4 Beaufort were reported in the area at the time of the report.

The incident follows an earlier boat capsizing south of Gavdos that also left people dead and missing, underscoring the frequency of migrant crossing incidents in the sea corridor near Crete.