According to the Coast Guard, the first incident took place southeast of Kos when a boat carrying 16 migrants capsized. Sadly, a woman was recovered dead, while the remaining 15 passengers were rescued and transported by a Coast Guard vessel to the island’s port.

In a second incident, a wooden boat carrying 78 people was located 23 nautical miles south of Gavdos. All individuals were rescued by a lifeboat and are being transferred to the port of Souda in Chania.

The third incident involved a sailing boat carrying 70 migrants, spotted east of the Messinian Gulf. The individuals were rescued with the help of a Panama-flagged ship, assisted by a Coast Guard vessel, and are being transferred to the port of Kalamata.

All operations were coordinated by the Coast Guard’s Integrated Search and Rescue Centre.

Coast Guard Operations in August 2024

According to data from the Coast Guard, 2,840 migrants were arrested for illegal entry into Greece during August 2024. Of these, 19 were apprehended within Greek territory en route to an EU country.

In addition, 88 human traffickers were arrested, and authorities seized 49 boats and 3 vehicles during the operations.