ATHENS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 69 refugees and migrants who were located on board a vessel off Crete were safely transferred on Tuesday to the western port of Kastelli on the island, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.
The 53 adults and 16 minors received first aid and food from local authorities and with the exception of two cases of minor injuries were in fair condition, Theodoros Stathakis, Mayor of Kissamos, said.
The refugees and migrants told Greek police and Coast Guard officials that in their vast majority were from Iraq and Iran and they were five days on board the sailing boat before a mechanical failure left it adrift off between the coasts of Kythera island and Crete on Monday night.
The boat was initially located by a Greek Coast Guard helicopter and a European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) vessel and was escorted to the port of Kastelli by three Greek Coast Guard vessels, authorities said.
Strong winds of up to 9 on the Beaufort scale were blowing in the area during the rescue operation, according to the Greek meteorological service.
Greek Coast Guard has rescued more than 100,000 lives in the Aegean Sea since the start of the refugee crisis in early 2015, according to their official statistics.
