Following the sinking of a smugglers’ boat off the island of Chios, Greek authorities immediately…
Tag: Search and Rescue
The European Commission said it is aware of the tragedy that unfolded on Tuesday night…
Senior officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard have launched a Administrative Inquiry (EDE) into the…
A Greek Coast Guard vessel clashed with a speedboat linked to migrant smugglers off the…
Greek authorities launched a search and rescue operation northeast of Ikaria after locating an unconscious…
A large-scale volunteer operation continues across Crete as search teams intensify efforts to locate 33-year-old…
One person died and seven remain missing after a rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank in the Aegean Sea off Dikili, İzmir province, early on January 10, 2026. The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 37 survivors alive, with operations continuing for the missing amid rough conditions on this perilous route to the Greek island of Lesbos.
Greek authorities have recovered the body of one of four migrants reported missing at sea…
Arrivals of refugees and migrants in Crete show no sign of slowing, as Greek authorities…
Greek authorities, coordinated by the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) and assisted by Frontex, rescued 24 undocumented immigrants from a small boat in distress 38 nautical miles southwest of Cape Tainaron on December 13, 2025.
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.
In a swift maritime operation 19 nautical miles southwest of Gavdos, the Hellenic Coast Guard, aided by a Frontex drone and two merchant vessels, rescued 79 migrants and refugees from a distressed boat. All were safely transferred to Paleochora, Crete, for identification and care.
At least 14 migrants have died after a rubber dinghy sank off Turkey’s southwestern coast near Bodrum. Two people survived, while search and rescue teams continue to look for two others still missing. Authorities believe the migrants may have been attempting to reach the nearby Greek island of Kos.
Two rescue operations coordinated by Greece’s Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (EKSED) saved a…
The husband of a British woman found dead on a Greek island after disappearing from Kavala’s Ofrynio Beach has criticised local authorities, claiming a slow and indifferent response due to her foreign nationality. Michele Bourda, 59, who suffered from depression and anxiety, was discovered over a month after going missing, sparking questions about police procedures and mental health support for tourists.
In a tragic turn of events, a 50-year-old spearfisherman was found dead on Thursday, September 4, off the coast of Chania, Crete, after going missing during a spearfishing trip in Voulolimni. The Hellenic Coast Guard located his body in a remote, rugged area, where recovery efforts are underway amid challenging conditions.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted the vital role of the Hellenic Coast Guard in safeguarding both national and European borders, as five new high-speed patrol boats were delivered. He stressed their dual role in strengthening defence and supporting humanitarian missions such as search and rescue.
A detainee fell overboard during a boat transfer between Chios and Lesvos on Sunday, prompting a search and rescue operation by the Hellenic Police and Coast Guard. The individual, previously arrested for human trafficking, was en route to a judicial hearing.
Greek air traffic controllers will stage a four-hour work stoppage on August 28, joining the nationwide strike called by ADEDY. The action, from 09:30 to 13:30, will disrupt flights, with only emergency, humanitarian, medical, and essential state flights permitted.
Two Russian free divers, aged 12 and 20, were located alive on a rocky, inaccessible…
Michele Bourda, a 59-year-old British woman, vanished from Ofryni Beach in Kavala, Greece, on August 1, 2025. An intensive search involving the Hellenic Coast Guard and local police continues, with no plans to stop, as authorities urge the public to share information to aid the effort.
Libyan coast guard officers have begun training in Crete as part of a Greek-led initiative to curb rising migrant flows from North Africa. The program, which includes patrol and rescue operations, reflects efforts to strengthen ties between Greece and both Libyan administrations amid ongoing regional tensions.
The Hellenic Coast Guard rescued 63 migrants from a sailing vessel south of Tilos, coordinated by EKSED. The migrants were safely transported to Mandraki port in Rhodes for first aid and further processing.
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.
Turkey launched the Anatolian Star 2025 joint search and rescue exercise in the Aegean Sea and Izmir’s Dumanlı Mountain, involving naval and land operations with assets like aircraft, helicopters, and a frigate, observed by 11 countries.
Tragedy struck off the Greek island of Lesbos as four migrants—a boy, a girl, and two women—were confirmed dead after their boat sank in the early hours of Thursday. Greece’s coastguard rescued 23 survivors, but the total number of passengers remains unknown, prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation. The incident highlights the continuing risks faced by migrants attempting dangerous sea crossings to Europe.
A desperate struggle unfolded off the northern coast of Lesbos as a boat carrying migrants and refugees capsized near Skala Sikamnias. With 23 people rescued so far, the Hellenic Coast Guard and Air Force have launched an urgent operation, combing sea and shore for those still missing in the treacherous waters of the Aegean.
On Monday, the bodies of seven individuals were retrieved from the waters off Cyprus after a migrant boat capsized. This incident prompted a search and rescue operation by local authorities, as reported by Cyprus’ state broadcaster. According to the broadcaster, while an unknown number of individuals remain missing, two survivors were rescued from international waters approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of Cyprus.
A Greek Ombudsman inquiry has found that the Hellenic Coast Guard failed to follow maritime rescue protocols in the 2023 Adriana shipwreck, one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest migrant disasters. The report, which confirms survivors’ testimonies, reveals that authorities monitored the overcrowded trawler for 15 hours without escalating it to a distress situation, delaying rescue efforts. Disciplinary action has been recommended against eight coast guard officers, while a naval court investigates potential criminal liability. The findings raise further concerns over Greece’s handling of migration crises and adherence to international maritime law.
The Greek Ombudsman has recommended disciplinary action against eight coastguard officers for negligence in their duties during the deadly 2023 migrant shipwreck off Pylos. The trawler Adriana, carrying around 750 people, sank in international waters, with only 104 survivors. The investigation raises critical questions about Greece’s handling of the case and EU migration policies.
