Eretria: boat collision with two injured

An amateur speedboat under Greek flag carrying four foreign passengers collided with an anchored sailboat in the Eretria maritime area in the evening of Saturday, 15 August 2026. According to the Coast Guard statement, the speedboat operator, a French national, and one passenger, a Serbian national, were injured and transported by ambulance to Chalkida General Hospital. The Port Authority of Eretria prohibited the departure of both vessels involved, and no marine pollution was observed in the area. The statement does not specify the severity of the injuries to the two occupants.

The same statement records other incidents in the past twenty-four hours. A commercial tourist boat carrying eight foreign passengers and four crew members ran aground on moored vessels in Aegina, causing material damage only, with departure also prohibited. In Igoumenitsa, a 43-year-old was arrested at the passenger port with a fraudulent travel document, while in Leipsoi a 46-year-old shop owner was arrested for disturbing public peace. Departure prohibition on both vessels is standard procedure until seaworthiness checks are completed and civil claims for damages are settled.

The discovery of suspected ordnance in an oxidized state on Myrodatos beach in Porto Lagos, Xanthi, roughly one meter from shore and thirty centimetres deep, presents distinct interest. The site was placed under guard pending intervention by the competent disposal team. Such findings appear periodically on Greek shores, usually resulting from earlier periods, with sand movement along the seabed bringing them to the surface. Cases in Leipsoi and Igoumenitsa were forwarded to local prosecutorial authorities.

Collisions of recreational boats increase every August when traffic in the enclosed gulfs of Euboea and Saronic peaks. Port authorities note that most incidents relate to speed near anchorages and limited visibility during evening hours. All involved parties are presumed innocent, and cases are in pre-investigation stage by local port authorities. Maritime authorities stress that speed within ports and anchorages is strictly limited by regulations, regardless of weather. Euboea Gulf concentrates many recreational vessels in August, both from neighbouring marinas and from Attica, with Eretria anchorages among the densest in the area.