Some of the 18 people who have been rescued said there were 22 people on board and four fell in the waters, according to a press release from the Coast Guard, Xinhua reported.
The incident happened as a European Conference on Border Management is being held in Athens, with ministers and deputy ministers of EU member states and European Economic Area countries, European Commissioners and heads of European agencies such as Frontex and Europol discussing current and future challenges relating to the management of EU borders, the Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
Greece is one of the countries at the frontline of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015.