Three bodies recovered as Hellenic Coast Guard commences rescue operations

Reports say a large-scale search and rescue operation is underway under the coordination of the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center (E.K.S.E.D.) of the Hellenic Coast Guard, in the sea area 15 nautical miles south of Kali Limenes, Crete. A Navy Frigate, a Frontex Force vessel, a Frontex Force unmanned vessel, as well as nearby ships are operating at the scene. So far, twenty foreigners (16 men and 4 minors) have been rescued and three bodies of men have been recovered.

In particular, in the evening hours yesterday, the Port Authorities of Agia Galini and Kali Limenes were informed by the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center (E.K.S.E.D.) of the Headquarters of the Hellenic Coast Guard, about a boat in a difficult position in the sea area 20 n.m. south of Kali Limenes. The local emergency plan was immediately activated and four passing ships and a vessel of the Frontex Force went to the scene. The prevailing weather conditions were unfavorable with southerly winds of 5 BF.

The boat was spotted by a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship 15 nautical miles south of Kali Limenes. During the process of boarding the foreigners in the carry, the boat capsized due to the high waves and the movement of the occupants on one side of it, as a result of which they found themselves in the sea. Twenty (20) foreigners (16 men and 4 minors) were rescued by the crew of the cargo ship, while three bodies of men were recovered from the vessel of the Frontex Force. The rescued and the bodies were transported to Kali Limenes and then to the port of Heraklion, while the 3 bodies were transferred to the Forensic Research Laboratory of the University of Crete.

During the preliminary investigation carried out by the Central Port Authority of Heraklion, two foreigners, a 25-year-old (a citizen of South Sudan) and a 19-year-old (a citizen of Sudan), were identified as the traffickers of the others and were arrested for violating article 83 of Law 3386/2005 “Illegal entry into the country”, article 25 of Law 5038/2023 “Facilitation” in conjunction with article 45 of the Penal Code “Complicity”, of article 306 of the Penal Code “Report”, of article 277 of the Penal Code “Causing a shipwreck” and of article 302 of the Penal Code “Manslaughter by negligence”. According to the rescued, fifty (50) people were on board the boat and set off in the evening hours on 19.02.26 from the Tobruk area of Libya, paying for their transport to Greece sums of money between 4,000,000 Sudanese pounds and 220,000 Egyptian guineas.

In the early hours of today, the Port Authority of Kali Limenes was informed by the vessel of the Frontex Force, to locate a boat in a difficult position and rescue its sixty-seven (67) passengers (all men) from the sea area 14.5 n.m. south of Kali Limenes. Subsequently, the foreigners were first transferred to Kali Limenes and then to the port of Heraklion. A 21-year-old foreigner (citizen of South Sudan) was arrested by the Central Port Authority of Heraklion, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, as the trafficker of the others, for violation of article 83 of Law 3386/2005 (Illegal entry into the country), article 25 of Law 5038/2023 (Facilitation) and article 306 of the Penal Code (Report). According to a statement by the foreigners, they set off in the afternoon hours of 19.02.26 from the Tobruk area of Libya, paying the sum of between 5,000 and 15,000 Libyan dinars, for their transport to Greece.