The bodies of five people were recovered from the sea southwest of the island of Gavdos on Saturday after a wooden boat carrying migrants sank in the early hours of the day. This was followed by another two incidents in which the coast guard was called out to rescue migrants in distress south of Gavdos.
The Search And Rescue operation continued as the exact number of the missing people was not clear. According to media reports, around 80 people were onboard of the wooden boat that sank short after midnight, while in the area winds were blowing with intensity of 5 Beaufort.
In the first incident, 39 people, all men, were rescued, in the second 47 and in the third a total of 88.
At the request of the SAR Coordination Center, a Hellenic Navy helicopter joined in the first search-and-rescue effort at 12.5 nautical miles southwest of Gavdos and retrieved one survivor, who was delivered to the Chania General Hospital helipad.
FB post by George Beas, governon of General hospital in Chania
The search-and-rescue operation involved a Coast Guard rescue boat, four vessels sailing nearby, an Italian frigate and a helicopter.
The rescued migrants were initially taken to Paleochora in Chania and from there to the migrant reception centre in Agyia, Chania. One migrant with symptoms of drowning was taken by ambulance to Chania Hospital and admitted to an ICU, as were three individuals suffering from heart problems and hypothermia, respectively.
Sources told media that the process of transferring the rescued migrants to Agyia was underway, while 45 will be departing on a ferry for Piraeus on Sunday morning.
According to Chania Deputy Mayor Eleni Zervoudaki, they have access to medical care and medicines, shoes, clothes, blankets, food and all those at the centre are in good health.
