Turkish catamaran sinks in Greece; 10 people rescued

A Turkish-flagged catamaran sank in the Saronic Gulf near Vouliagmeni, south of Athens, on Friday, August 14. All ten people on board, including Işınsu Kestelli, the President of the Izmir Commodity Exchange, were rescued without injury.

The incident occurred approximately two nautical miles west of Fleves Island during conditions with north winds at 5 Beaufort. The vessel began taking on water for unknown reasons and quickly became partially submerged.

The Greek Joint Rescue Coordination Center initiated a search and rescue operation, deploying two Greek Coast Guard boats. A support vessel from the Cayman Islands-flagged luxury motor yacht ‘Opera’, which was nearby, also assisted in the rescue. The passengers were initially moved to the ‘Opera’ before being transported to Vouliagmeni Marina by the Coast Guard. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the sinking.