Eighteen people died and two more are fighting for their lives after a migrant boat was found half‑submerged south of Greece’s island of Crete, near the tiny islet of Chrissi.
The victims were still packed inside the dinghy when rescuers arrived, suggesting they succumbed to the cold before the vessel went under.
The rubber dinghy was discovered adrift in open water, already taking on water, with all 18 bodies still on board. Early medical assessments point to hypothermia as the likely cause of death, indicating the passengers probably died slowly in the freezing conditions rather than in a sudden shipwreck.
Two migrants were found alive but in a severely weakened state and were immediately airlifted by a Greek Super Puma rescue helicopter to Crete. Medical teams, already on standby, rushed them into emergency care as soon as the helicopter touched down to stabilize their condition.
Once the drifting dinghy was spotted, the Greek Coast Guard launched a major operation to secure the area and search for anyone else who might have made it out alive.
Patrol boats from Crete, including those from the capital Heraklion, were joined by merchant ships nearby that helped mark the dinghy’s position, while two Coast Guard vessels, a Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) patrol boat, three commercial ships, a Super Puma helicopter and a Frontex aircraft all took part in the search, rescue and subsequent recovery effort.
The bodies of the 18 migrants are being taken by Coast Guard vessel to the port of Ierapetra on Crete’s southeastern shore. There, medical examiners and forensic experts will work to confirm the exact causes of death, identify the victims where possible and determine their countries of origin.
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