Sailboat with migrants spotted 100 miles west of Pylos

2 Coast Guard vessels and helicopter are on the scene

A sailboat with migrants was spotted 100 nautical miles west of Pylos according to Italian authorities.

The Greek operations room was immediately notified, which instructed ships sailing nearby to follow the course of the sailboat, while at the same time, two vessels of the Coast Guard and a helicopter are headed to the spot.

The sailboat is currently not on a westward course, which would mean that it is headed for Italy. So far it has not issued a distress signal, while the weather conditions in the area are reported to be good.

According to the information from the Greek Coast Guard, if the sailboat follows a westerly course in about an hour based on the speed it is moving, it will be the responsibility of the Italian authorities for search and rescue.

“There is no danger, the sailboat is sailing normally,” said the spokesman of the Coast Guard, Nikos Alexiou, speaking to SKAI.

He explained that an order has been given to floating vehicles while a helicopter is also arriving at the scene in order to better assess the situation.

The spokesperson of the Coast Guard noted that there is still no clear picture of the exact number of passengers while the weather conditions are not unfavorable in the area.