- The buoy and spearfishing gun of the 65-year-old missing diver were located 5 nautical miles offshore.
- A Frontex drone with a thermal camera has joined the massive search operation in Frangokastello.
- Strong sea currents continue to complicate rescue efforts despite improved weather conditions.
Search crews have recovered the buoy and speargun belonging to the 65-year-old recreational diver who disappeared off Frangokastello on Tuesday, but the search for the missing man continues.
The equipment was found on Wednesday afternoon, approximately five nautical miles south-southeast of Frangokastello, tied together and drifting at sea. While the discovery provides investigators with a new reference point, the diver himself has not been located.
A large-scale search operation remains underway under the coordination of the Hellenic Coast Guard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC).
Rescue efforts involve Coast Guard vessels from Paleochora, Sfakia, and Agia Galini, a fishing boat, a private diver, and a Frontex drone equipped with a thermal camera.
The missing man, originally from the Peloponnese, was spending time in Askifou, the home village of his wife, and was familiar with the waters around Frangokastello, where he frequently went spearfishing.
According to local reports, concern was raised after he failed to return or contact his wife following Tuesday’s outing, prompting authorities to launch the search.
Although weather conditions improved on Wednesday, the waters off southern Crete are known for strong currents that can complicate search and rescue operations.
Authorities continue to search the area.
