A 19-month-old child who accidentally ingested rat poison was safely transported to hospital in Volos after a challenging sea rescue operation carried out under severe weather conditions in the Sporades.
The emergency began on May Day when the toddler fell ill on Skopelos and required immediate medical attention. Strong winds made an airlift impossible, while an initial attempt to transfer the child by a small vessel failed due to rough seas.
Urgent response amid harsh weather
A captain from Alonissos was then called in by the Coast Guard to undertake the mission. He responded within minutes and set off for Skopelos.
“I was notified in the early hours of May Day that there was an incident in Skopelos involving a small child, with suspicions that it had ingested rat poison,” he said. “Within five minutes I was on my boat. I went to Skopelos, picked up the baby’s mother and two doctors, and we set off for the port of Volos.”
Despite the adverse conditions, the vessel successfully reached Volos, where the child received medical care.
According to reports, the toddler is now in good health.
The captain noted that such emergency transfers occur regularly, around three to four times a year, often in difficult weather, as helicopters are not always available or able to operate.
