Five German tourists missing after sailing boat drifts off Symi, Greece
A search and rescue operation is underway after a sailing boat drifted away from eight German tourists who had jumped into the sea to swim near the Greek island of Symi on Sunday evening. Three have been rescued, five remain missing.
Incident
Eight German tourists, four men and four women, jumped into the sea to swim from their sailing boat near the Greek island of Symi on Sunday evening, 2 August 2026. The boat was anchored in the sea area between Symi and the islet of Seskli. Shortly after 8 p.m., strong currents and winds caused the vessel to drift away unmanned, leaving the swimmers stranded in the water. The group was unable to reach the boat as it was carried further offshore.
Two of the swimmers, a man and a woman, managed to swim to shore on their own, reaching the port of Panormitis on Symi. A third person, a woman, was found alive approximately four hours after the incident, bringing the number of rescued to three. The remaining five people are still unaccounted for.
Search and rescue operation
The Hellenic Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Coordination Center (EKSEA) is coordinating a large-scale search. Assets deployed include two Coast Guard patrol boats, one open-sea patrol vessel, and a Super Puma helicopter from the Hellenic Air Force. A vessel from the European border agency FRONTEX and several private boats are also assisting in the effort. The search is focused on the waters between Symi and Seskli, where the missing are believed to be.
- Sailing boat drifts away after 8 p.m., leaving eight German tourists in the water off Symi.
- One man and one woman swim to shore at Panormitis port.
- A third woman is found alive, about four hours after the incident.
Weather conditions
West-northwest winds blowing at 4 to 5 on the Beaufort scale are creating variable and challenging conditions for the rescue teams. The winds have not halted the operation, but they are complicating efforts to locate the missing swimmers.
Casualties and ongoing efforts
Initial reports from some media outlets cited six missing, but the number was revised to five after the third survivor was located. Authorities remain on high alert and continue to search for the remaining five German nationals. No further details about the identities of the missing or the rescued have been released.
