According to the Coast Guard, the body was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition. It was transferred to the Samos General Hospital for an autopsy and was formally identified by the child’s mother through the clothing.

The girl, a Sudanese national, had been reported missing on 25 December by her mother to the Leros Port Authority. She had stated that her daughter fell into the sea from a boat carrying refugees near the island of Farmakonisi and had not been seen since. Authorities are continuing the investigation into the circumstances of the incident.