At least 11 illegal migrants have been found on a semi-submerged inflatable boat near the sea in Agrelia, south of Lesvos airport, the Greek Coast Guard said on Thursday.
One of the people on board, suspected of being an illegal smuggler, stabbed the boat with a knife when he saw a Coast Guard boat*, endangering the lives of the passengers on the spoon.
According to the state television channel ERT, at least four people were thrown overboard, the rest were trying to survive by holding on to the boat or its floating parts. Most of them obviously did not know how to swim, none of them were wearing life jackets. Ultimately, the man was arrested for possession of a weapon (knife), which endangered people’s lives and led to the wreck of the boat.
The incident occurred at 11:30 am on Wednesday 16 August 2023. All migrants were safely delivered to the port of Mytilene.
*Under international law, Coast Guard duty to rescue people in distress at sea.
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