In the early hours of Tuesday, August 6, the Greek coast guard instructed a Maltese-flagged cruise ship to rescue a group of migrants from a distressed sailing yacht. Reports indicated that there were between 75 and 77 people aboard. The yacht was found by the cruise ship approximately 207 kilometers from Pylos, a town in southwestern Greece. The migrants were taken to Kalamata, a Greek port, with no reports of any missing individuals.
This rescue occurred near the site of one of the Mediterranean’s most deadly migrant shipwrecks. In June 2023, an overcrowded fishing boat that had departed from Libya sank off Pylos, leaving only 104 survivors. It is believed that over 700 people were on board, and most of the bodies have never been recovered. Migrants often depart from Turkey, taking the route around Greece towards Italy, though on Tuesday, the nationalities of the people on the yacht, as well as their departure point and destination, were not disclosed.
The day before, on Monday, August 5, the Greek coast guard was involved in locating 21 migrants and apprehending their smuggler following a chase on the island of Symi. The coast guard attempted to stop a speedboat, but the driver performed dangerous maneuvers and tried to ram the patrol vessel. Authorities fired two warning shots, and when the boat did not stop, they shot twice at the engine. The boat then slowed and overturned, damaging its air chamber and immobilizing it. The boat sank after the incident, and the driver, who needed medical care, was transferred to Rhodes for treatment.
Afterward, the coast guard searched the land and found 21 migrants, who were taken to the port authority of Symi. The migrants stated they had set off from Bozburun, Turkey, and each had paid 4,500 euros for the journey to Symi.
On the same day, another incident occurred near Samos. The port authority received a report of a suspicious high-speed boat traveling from Turkey toward Samos’ southern coast. The coast guard sent a patrol boat, and when the operator of the vessel refused to stop, a chase ensued, resulting in the driver’s arrest. The coast guard apprehended 17 foreign occupants, including 12 men and 5 women, and took them to the port of Pythagoreion, then to a controlled facility in Samos. The 18-year-old driver was arrested as a smuggler, and authorities confiscated the boat and a mobile phone, continuing their investigation.
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