Italian-flagged fishing vessel Fatima II allegedly came under mutiny off the southern coast of Crete island in Greece on Sunday evening and three Italian crew members were rescued by local coastal guard units, Greek media reported.
The three Italians claimed to authorities that they had been ejected from the boat by the rest of the crew, including two Egyptians and one Tunisian nationals.
The Italian crew members were located in two rubber dingies 25 nautical miles south-west off the island of Gavdos.
The three seamen were transferred to a local hospital for first aid in Chania, Crete.
Italian newspaper Il Messaggero has more details on the sea thriller story:
The scenario is that three other crew members fled with the mutinied boat, that there was some fight and even shooting on the boat between the captain and the castaways, and investigators do not exclude even some killing.The three rescued Italians told investigators that they had heard some gunfire, before they were been forced to leave the fishing vessel and that the incident took place on the night from Friday to Saturday.One of the Italians had called a family member via mobile phone informing that the three were on two life-boats in the middle of the sea.The Italian Coastal Guard of Portopalo was set on alert by the owner of Fatima II, who had lost contact to the vessel. The Italian coast Guard informed the coast guards of Greece, Malta, Tunesia, Libya and Egypt.The dingies were spotted by a merchant ship of the Marshall Islands that had been alerted by the Greek Maritime Authorities.
Authorities were conducting a thorough investigation into the case to locate the ship.
Greek source: To Vima
