Migrant Boat Sinks Off Lesbos: Four Dead, Including Child, 34 Rescued

Tragedy Strikes Off Lesbos Coast

Four people, including a young girl, have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the southern coast of the Greek island of Lesbos on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. The Hellenic Coast Guard confirmed the fatalities and reported that 34 survivors successfully made it to shore on their own. The incident underscores the persistent dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach European shores via the Aegean Sea.

Rescue Operations and Victim Identification

According to the Greek coast guard, a patrol boat recovered the bodies of two women, a man, and a girl from the sea near a rocky section of Lesbos's southern coast. A semi-submerged boat was discovered nearby. Survivors informed authorities that there had been a total of 38 people on board the vessel, leading to the conclusion that no individuals remained missing after the initial search and rescue efforts. Consequently, the extensive land and sea operation was called off. The nationalities of the victims and survivors were not immediately released, and the exact cause of the sinking remains under investigation.

Perilous Journeys Across the Aegean

This tragic event is the latest in a series of incidents in the Aegean Sea, a critical route for migrants and asylum-seekers seeking entry into the European Union. Greece, with its numerous islands close to the Turkish coast, serves as a primary gateway for individuals fleeing conflict, poverty, and instability in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Many undertake the short but often treacherous journey in inflatable dinghies or other small, frequently unseaworthy boats. Fatal sinkings are a common and grim reality of these desperate crossings.