Greece safely evacuates 48 migrants from inflatable boat off Lesbos island; vessel sinks

ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities said Sunday they had safely rescued 48 migrants from a rudderless inflatable boat off the island of Lesbos, close to the Turkish coast.

A coast guard vessel on patrol off the island sighted the boat Sunday morning, the Greek coast guard said in a communique.

The crew “carried out the safe evacuation and rescue of 48 foreigners, who were transported to the port of Mytilene,” the island’s capital, the coast guard said.

“Three of those rescued were picked up by an ambulance and taken to the General Hospital of Mytilene for the provision of first aid, where they remain hospitalized,” it added.

The coast guard did not mention the ethnicities of the migrants, but a YouTube video it released shows most of them are Africans.

The packed inflatable vessel sank, the coast guard said.

Greece has seen a rise in migrant arrivals from Turkey, mostly by sea, in recent weeks amid more clement summer sailing conditions.