A newborn baby has been rescued after being stranded with his parents for three days on the Greek island of Tilos, according to officials. The family was among a group of refugees abandoned by human traffickers on the shores of the Aegean Sea, left without food or water.
The baby, just 50 days old, was one of several people trapped in a remote, mountainous area of the island. As their resources dwindled, the desperate parents were forced to use seawater to make milk for their infants. After three harrowing days, authorities were finally able to rescue the baby, while others in the group were airlifted to safety by helicopter, told Metro.
Tilos Mayor Maria Kamma shared footage of the rescue operation, showing a man carefully cradling the baby as he climbed into an inflatable boat. In a Facebook post, she praised the community’s response, saying, “The community of Tilos has once again risen to the occasion, lending a shoulder to the refugees. The locals are trying to cope in the best way possible with the ‘migrant crisis’ in their homeland and to help the suffering, the wounded, and the distressed people.”
Local media reports confirm that the baby is safe and healthy, though the exact number of people in the group remains unclear. Mayor Kamma also announced that the baby boy has been named Ionas, drawing a parallel to the monk who washed ashore in Tilos centuries ago and founded the monastery of Agios Panteleimon.
The mayor highlighted the dire conditions faced by refugees on the island, describing a “scene of despair” created by human traffickers. She reported instances of pregnant women trapped in the mountains, infants and children abandoned in steep areas, and refugees beaten by traffickers. “Pregnant women trapped in the mountain, infants and children thrown in steep areas of the island, women injured, men beaten badly by traffickers, make up the scene of despair that my island’s society has been experiencing in recent months,” she said.
Kamma also noted the lack of external assistance for the island but praised the volunteers who have stepped in to help the refugees. Greece remains a primary entry point into Europe for refugees fleeing conflicts and hardships in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.