New survivor accounts from the Chios migrant boat collision describe no visible or audible warnings from the Coast Guard vessel before the fatal impact that killed 15 people. One injured man holding his child reported complete darkness and no pursuit signals, while a bereaved woman lost consciousness and recalled nothing of the crash. A detained Moroccan man is accused of driving the dinghy, though several survivors could not identify him.
Tag: Greek coast guard
Afroditi Latinopoulou defended the Greek Coast Guard as “guarding Thermopylae” in the Chios tragedy, refused to fear Maria Karystianou’s political movement, and fiercely attacked Kyriakos Velopoulos and Zoe Konstantopoulou for allegedly exploiting the Tempi disaster while trivializing serious issues like the Epstein scandal
Strong southern winds reaching 8 to 9 Beaufort are causing widespread disruptions to ferry services…
Greek authorities have recovered the body of one of four migrants reported missing at sea…
The Greek Coast Guard has carried out a series of targeted operations against drug trafficking…
Greek authorities rescued around 540 migrants off Gavdos and transferred them to a temporary facility on Crete, marking one of the largest migrant arrivals in recent months.
Greek authorities identified 142 migrants on Pserimos after a vessel landed on the island’s beach. Three suspected smugglers attempted to flee but were arrested. All migrants were transferred to Kos, while the Kalymnos Port Authority investigates possible links to wider smuggling networks.
Turkish media allege that the Greek Coast Guard fired at a Turkish fishing boat off Didim (Δίδυμα), opposite Kos in the Dodecanese. The claims remain unverified as Greece has not issued a statement. Read the latest updates from Greek City Times.
A 31-year-old Ukrainian seafarer was rescued by the Greek Coast Guard after falling overboard from a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Aegean Sea between Amorgos, Naxos, Antiparos, and Ios.
migrant boat sank off Lesvos, Greece, claiming one woman’s life. Seventeen others were rescued near Plomari, with Coast Guard and Frontex continuing search efforts
A 20-year-old sailor died in a tragic accident aboard the Blue Star Chios while on the Rhodes–Piraeus route. The crew member was fatally injured after becoming trapped in a watertight door. Despite immediate first aid and transfer to Tzaneio General Hospital, doctors pronounced him dead. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Athens has partnered with Google’s Global Fishing Watch to revolutionize marine surveillance in the Aegean Sea, focusing on protecting new marine parks in the Ionian and Cyclades. Using advanced satellite technology, the initiative targets illegal fishing and environmental violations, while enhancing Greece’s ability to monitor its territorial waters. The collaboration, signed in November 2024, also holds potential for addressing migration flows and bolstering national security.
Maritime Minister Vasilis Kikilias admitted Turkey’s fishing activity in the Aegean stems from concessions made in 2017 over the detention of two Greek soldiers, raising concerns about Greek sovereignty and EEZ violations.
Crete, Greece – August 20, 2025. The cargo ship MN KOSTAS, sailing under the Sierra…
In a major operation at Igoumenitsa’s international port, the Greek Coast Guard arrested a 52-year-old truck driver after uncovering €2.75 million worth of drugs hidden in a vehicle from Italy. The Coast Guard’s K-9 unit, led by detection dog “Vlad,” discovered 15.19 kg of hashish, 60.89 kg of skunk, and 11.3 kg of cocaine concealed in a pallet. Authorities are now investigating to trace the drugs’ recipients in Greece and collaborating with European agencies to deepen the probe.
Over 150 migrants were rescued off the coasts of Gavdos and Heraklion, Greece, on July 25, 2025, as flows from Libya resumed. The Greek Coast Guard and Frontex conducted the operations, while Greece prepares a new bill to detain migrants ineligible for asylum.
A 21-year-old Azerbaijani man was arrested after paying €2,000 to a Turkish trafficker for an illegal jet ski journey from Türkiye to the Greek island of Symi. The Greek Coast Guard intercepted the smuggler during a high-speed chase, leading to both arrests and the seizure of the watercraft.
Greek authorities transferred 247 migrants from Crete to detention centers in Lavrio after their illegal entry from Libya. Under a new parliamentary amendment, they face immediate detention and return procedures without asylum eligibility. An additional 63 migrants were rescued off Gavdos, as Greece enforces stricter border policies.
Greek authorities rescued 216 migrants from Libya south of Crete and Gavdos. All face deportation and will be detained without asylum rights, amid a surge in arrivals and Greece’s temporary suspension of asylum applications.
A Frontex patrol vessel ran aground and sank off the coast of Anaxos, Lesbos, in…
Crete is grappling with an unprecedented migrant surge, with over 2,600 arrivals straining local resources. Starting today, authorities are transferring migrants from Rethymno to Piraeus via ferries for processing in mainland Reception Centers. A fishing vessel carrying 520 migrants was intercepted south of Gavdos, while hundreds more are housed in makeshift shelters in Chania and Rethymno. Local officials warn of an “unmanageable” crisis, urging government action as the Hellenic Red Cross provides critical aid.
In a striking scene captured on Sunday morning at Diskos beach in southern Crete, dozens…
Greek authorities rescued 501 migrants from a distressed fishing vessel south of Crete, arresting four Egyptian traffickers. The operation uncovered a smuggling network, with investigations ongoing into organized trafficking rings.
In a dramatic rescue off Karpathos, 75 migrants were saved 14.4 nautical miles southeast of the island after their sailing vessel sent a distress signal. The ferry *Blue Star Chios*, coordinated by Greece’s EKSED, swiftly rescued all aboard under challenging 5 Beaufort winds, with support from a Coast Guard lifeboat.
In a quiet chapel on the island of Lesvos, a 29-year-old Greek Coast Guard officer was found hanged, his death shrouded in mystery. While initial reports suggested suicide, the discovery of his shoes and phone 87 kilometers away, coupled with stab wounds and suspicious security footage, has sparked suspicions of foul play. As his grieving family demands answers, authorities delve into a complex investigation, uncovering clues that point to a possible criminal act.
The Greek Coast Guard found two women’s bodies and 39 migrants on Farmakonisi, a small Aegean island, on Monday. Authorities are investigating, with searches ongoing for possible shipwreck survivors.
Two women were found dead and 39 migrants rescued on the remote Greek island of Farmakonisi after a suspected boat sinking, authorities said Monday. The vessel, believed to have departed from the Turkish coast, was not located. The incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the eastern Mediterranean route.
Greek authorities vowed a zero-tolerance stance against human traffickers after a Turkish vessel fired on a Coast Guard boat off Lesbos on April 13, 2025. The traffickers escaped to Turkish waters, with no injuries reported.
A serious incident involving gunfire occurred early Saturday morning in Greek territorial waters in the northern Aegean, when a Turkish vessel opened fire during a Greek Coast Guard inspection, prompting an immediate response.
The EU’s border agency, Frontex, is reviewing 12 serious incident reports involving Greece, some linked to alleged illegal pushbacks of migrants—a practice recently condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. While Greece denies such actions, the investigation underscores ongoing concerns about border management and human rights compliance at Europe’s southeastern frontier.
