EU Border Patrol Crew Rescued After Grounding and Sinking

[Brief] On Monday, a European border patrol vessel ran aground and sank off the coast of Lesvos, Greece during a search and rescue mission, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

At about 1800 hours on Monday evening, an unnamed Frontex rescue boat was engaged in a near-shore search for a group of migrants who had gone missing while attempting to reach shore. The migrants' vessel had crossed over from Turkey to Lapsarna, Lesvos, and 36 survivors made it to shore; they informed the authorities that four migrants were unaccounted for.

While searching for the missing migrants, in rough surface conditions, the Portuguese-crewed Frontex boat struck a rock. Its fiberglass hull was damaged, resulting in flooding and sinking.

Six crewmembers from the vessel - five Portuguese and one Greek national - were rescued and brought safely to shore. The Lesvos port authority is investigating the circumstances of the casualty.