Yacht carrying 18 sinks off Greek island; all rescued

All 18 people who were on board a British-flagged yacht that sank off the Greek island of Milos have been rescued and are uninjured, Greece's coast guard said Thursday.

The passengers and crew members, all Greeks, were picked up from the sea by a passenger boat, a nearby cargo ship and a launch, and were being transported to the main port on Milos.

A coast guard spokesperson had originally said the roughly 30-metre vessel had been carrying 17 passengers.

Two helicopters, three coast guard patrol boats and other vessels scrambled to the area after those on board contacted emergency services on Thursday.

It was not immediately clear why the yacht sank. The weather conditions in the area had been fair.