Overview
- Vacationers left a sailboat to swim and, according to media reports, strong wind carried the unattended vessel away so some could not return aboard.
- Eight people were aboard the boat: one German man who remains unaccounted for, three other men, and four women.
- Several group members reached shore at different times, with two swimmers first alerting authorities, another woman arriving later, and four more found on land after midnight.
- The Hellenic Coast Guard deployed two boats and a helicopter to search and the Symi harbor authority confirmed the missing person to DPA.
- The case underscores how quickly small recreational craft can become hazardous in the Aegean when winds rise and points to the need for greater caution and preparedness by holiday boaters.