Southern Crete: two rescue operations ended well

Two separate search and rescue operations in southern Crete were completed with safe outcomes on Monday 7 September 2026, according to two separate reports from Neakriti. In the first case, a 77-year-old underwater fisherman who had been reported missing since the evening of Sunday 6 September was found safe on the morning of Monday at Vathy beach in the Municipality of Phaistos. In the second case, a minor foreign national who was missing while on a SUP board was found safe on Monday at Dyskos beach in the Municipality of Gortyna. Both incidents mobilized a significant number of Coast Guard personnel and Frontex resources, with operations completed within a few hours of each disappearance being reported.

For the search of the 77-year-old, the Coast Guard authorities of Kokkinochroma, Kaloi Limenes and Agia Galini, two patrol boats and a patrol vessel of the Coast Guard, a Frontex vessel and drone, the fishing vessel “Armenistis” and a vehicle for ground patrol were mobilized. The second operation, for the location of the minor foreign national, was coordinated by the National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre and mobilized two Coast Guard vessels, a Frontex vessel, a Frontex drone, a commercial tourist vessel and private boats in the area, while sea conditions included winds of 6 to 7 Beaufort. The participation of so many different entities, public and private, in two separate operations on the same day illustrates the degree of coordination required in such cases.

The two operations, though independent of each other, occurred on the same day on the southern coast of Heraklion province, an area with intense maritime activity by swimmers, fishermen and tourists during summer and early autumn months. The simultaneous mobilization of so many resources, from Coast Guard vessels to vessels and Frontex drones, highlights the readiness of search and rescue mechanisms in the area, and the risks inherent in activities such as underwater fishing and use of SUP boards without adequate attention to weather conditions. Strong winds recorded during the second operation further increased the difficulty of search at sea.

Both cases closed without injuries, with those involved being located safe within a few hours of their disappearance being reported. The Coast Guard did not announce further actions related to the two incidents, while authorities recommend that those engaged in underwater fishing or SUP board activities obtain information before each outing about weather conditions and avoid solo expeditions to locations with limited visibility from land. The two positive outcomes on the same day underscore the importance of immediate reporting to authorities when someone is missing so that the search operation can begin without delay.