A search and rescue operation has been underway since Sunday evening (2/8) in the waters between Symi and the rocky islet of Seskli, following an incident involving a sailing vessel carrying eight passengers. The group had been swimming in the sea when strong winds swept their boat away, leaving them stranded in open water.
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Strong winds swept the sailboat away
All eight passengers aboard the sailing vessel were German nationals — four men and four women. According to reports, while the group was swimming in the sea, powerful winds in the area caused the unattended boat to drift away, leaving all eight people in the water. According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), two of the passengers managed to swim to shore and alerted the authorities, reporting that the rest of the group was missing. Shortly afterward, a third person — a woman — also made it to land on her own.
Immediate response from authorities
The sailboat was later found drifting unmanned, prompting the immediate mobilization of coast guard authorities. A full-scale search and rescue operation has been ongoing in the waters around Symi, focused on locating one man who remains missing.
How the seven survivors were rescued
According to information from ANA-MPA, seven of the eight individuals have so far been located and rescued, all reported to be in good health. The first to be found were a man and a woman who had managed to swim to the Panormitis area of the island. A large-scale search and rescue operation was then launched, involving two Greek Coast Guard vessels and a Hellenic Air Force helicopter.
Shortly before midnight, another woman successfully swam ashore on her own and was subsequently spotted by a fishing vessel. Then, just after 1:20 a.m., a Coast Guard patrol boat located four more individuals, bringing the total number of rescued passengers to seven.
Authorities are now concentrating all efforts on finding the eighth and final missing person, a man. As of the morning hours, a Coast Guard vessel and a Hellenic Air Force helicopter continue to operate in the area, with the search still in full progress.
