8 dead, 18 rescued after migrants fall from speedboat in Rhodes chase

Eight bodies have been recovered and eighteen people rescued after they fell into the sea from a speedboat carrying undocumented migrants during a chase off the eastern coast of the Greek island of Rhodes on Friday.

The incident occurred in broad daylight when the coast guard detected the vessel as the human trafficker attempted to disembark the passengers near Afandou beach. Authorities said the boat operator lost control while performing "dangerous maneuvers" at speeds exceeding 30 knots in an attempt to evade a pursuing coast guard vessel. These erratic movements are believed to have caused the migrants to fall overboard. 

During one maneuver, the front of the boat reportedly collided with the side of the coast guard's vessel. Many of the rescued migrants sustained injuries from the crash, and sources indicate that several of the bodies recovered showed signs of...