The inflatable boat carrying migrants was not found and therefore could not be recovered, the vessel that reportedly collided with a Coast Guard boat off Chios, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people on Tuesday evening, February 3, 2026. The search operations conducted off Mersinidi were unsuccessful. Members of the underwater missions unit attempted to carry out the order issued by the Chios investigator, following a request from the defense attorneys of the 31-year-old Moroccan man, who has been remanded in custody and is alleged to be the boat’s driver-smuggler. The investigator was present at the scene, along with one of the African defendant’s defense attorneys.
