ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Three people have died and up to 12 others are missing after a dinghy carrying migrants overturned near the Greek resort island of Mykonos, officials said.
The incident in the Aegean Sea happened early Friday. The search involving two rescue helicopters as well as coastguards and private vessels was launched after two men, a Palestinian and a Syrian, swam to rocks near the shore and were spotted by authorities.
The bodies of two adult women and an adult man were found at sea a few hours later.
Coastguard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas said moderate winds prevailed in the search area, adding that the incident happened around 6 a.m. off the northeast coast of Mykonos.
The island is more than 150 kilometers (95 miles) from the nearest point on the Turkish coast.
Turkey-based smugglers have frequently chosen open sea routes in recent years to try to avoid the heavily guarded waters of the eastern Aegean, where several large Greek islands lie close to the Turkish coast.