Italian Coast Guard rescues migrants off Pozzallo and a sailor near Salina

On 28 June 2026 the Italian Coast Guard rescued 21 migrants—16 men and five minors—from a small boat about 20 nautical miles southeast of Pozzallo, Sicily. The passengers, who had left Libya three days earlier, were identified as originating from Bangladesh, Egypt and Eritrea. After a health check by maritime and provincial health services, they were transferred to the Pozzallo reception centre. The town’s mayor warned that favourable weather could increase future arrivals and criticised regional authorities for insufficient attention.

In a separate operation coordinated by the Coast Guard of Lipari, a man who fell overboard from a leisure craft travelling from Capo d’Orlando to Salina was located about four nautical miles south of Salina after roughly one hour and fifteen minutes of searching. The rescue, involving three vessels and a helicopter, concluded with the individual in good health, underscoring the Coast Guard’s readiness to protect lives at sea.