Dramatic rescues as boats sink off Greece; 16 women dead

NEAPOLI, Greece (AP) — Residents of a Greek island pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs in dramatic rescues after two boats sank in Greek waters, leaving at least 16 people dead and dozens still missing.

The coast guard said the 16 bodies — all of young African women — had been recovered overnight near the eastern island of Lesbos after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank. Nine women were rescued, while 15 other migrants were believed to be missing, coast guard officials said.

“The women who were rescued were in a full state of panic so we are still trying to work out what happened,” coast guard spokesman Nikos Kokkalas told state television. “The women were all from African countries, aged 20 upward. ... There is a search on land as well as at sea and we hope that survivors made it to land.”

The second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the west, off the island of Kythira, where a sailboat struck rocks and sank. Kokkalas said 80 people had been rescued while a search continued for as many as 15 still believed to be missing.

With winds in the area reaching 70 kph (45 mph), Fire Service rescuers and local volunteers on Kythira lowered ropes to help migrants climb up cliffs on the seafront.

Survivors clinging to ropes were pulled to safety up steep cliffs as others were buffeted by waves as they waited their turn on tiny areas of rock at the bottom.

“All the residents here went down to the harbor to try and help,” Martha Stathaki, a local resident told The Associated Press.

“We could see the boat smashing against the rocks and people climbing up those rocks to try and save themselves. It was an unbelievable sight.”

Kythira is some 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Turkey and on a route often used by smugglers to bypass...