In a remarkable act of bravery, a Turkish captain has rescued 78 irregular migrants stranded in the Ionian Sea. These individuals, who had embarked on a journey to reach Europe, found themselves adrift after their captain abandoned the boat.
On the morning of October 14, Turkish captain Ufuk Akdağ received a distress call from the stranded boat, located just 20 minutes away from his ship. “At 2:20 a.m., we were alerted to the situation and quickly mobilized for a rescue mission,” Akdağ recalled. His crew swiftly reached the migrants, providing essential first aid, food, drinks, and blankets.
Among the migrants were individuals from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Afghanistan, including six children and ten women. They reported being at sea for four days before receiving help. Some migrants carried Turkish Liras and mentioned they had made an agreement for a risky passage that cost them 70,000 euros.
After ensuring the migrants’ safety, Akdağ attempted to contact the Greek Coast Guard for further assistance. However, when help did not arrive, he made the decision to navigate to the Greek port of Pylos, located 39 miles north, where he securely handed over the rescued migrants to Greek authorities.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by migrants seeking to enter Europe through illegal routes, particularly across the Aegean Sea, where many are drawn to the proximity of Greek islands to the Turkish coast.