A cargo ship carrying salt sank off the Greek island of Lesvos on Sunday, killing one person, and a massive rescue operation is still underway to try to save the ship’s 12 crew members in an area battered by strong winds, AFP reported.

The man’s body was found and brought to the port of Mytilene, the capital of the Greek island of Lesvos, the Greek Coast Guard said in a press release.

Despite strong winds in the area, one crew member was rescued by a naval helicopter and transported to a hospital on Lesvos.

“He is in a state of shock,” coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told AFP, without giving further details.

Fourteen people were on board the RAPTOR, a 106-metre cargo boat flying the flag of the African nation of Comoros, when it reported mechanical problems at 7:00 a.m. (05:00 GMT) and issued an emergency call about an hour later. later delayed and disappeared from radar, according to authorities.

The Egyptian survivor was found floating on a barrel and is doing well despite a head injury.

The fate of the rest of the crew is currently unknown.

Eight boats, three coast guard vessels, two helicopters and a Navy frigate were involved in the rescue operation.

According to authorities, the “RAPTOR” was carrying salt and left the port of Deheila in northern Egypt with a final destination of Istanbul. The 1984-built ship sank about 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) southwest of the island of Lesbos, according to authorities.

Eight crew members were Egyptian, while the rest were citizens of Syria and India.